The Unsolvable Case
by themodernteen
Summary: Hotch wakes to find he, Morgan, Reid, and Prentiss are kidnapped by a psychotic unsub with a power complex. The 4 BAU agents must endure the brutal "trials" the unsub throws at them while trying to solve their own case to escape. With Rossi, Garcia, & JJ trying to find their missing friends, the kidnapped agents must try and survive while faced with their greatest fears.
1. Chapter 1

**Here's a new fic for you guys! Based on the TV show _Criminal Minds_! None of the characters or content belong to me! Enjoy! Leave me a fav/follow/review!**

Hotch's eyes shot open.

He was somewhere dark, somewhere unfamiliar. His eyes quickly assessed his foreign surroundings, memorizing every detail.

Three questions immediately crossed his mind:

 _1\. Where was his team?_

 _2\. Where was he?_

 _3\. Who did this to him?_

His hands patted his body, assessing for any injuries. He seemed fine.

Hotch found his footing and stood up swiftly. He was hit with a small rush of dizziness, but he brushed it off. His hands felt for objects in the dark. Behind him was a cold wall made of plaster. His back had been resting against it when he came to. The floor felt like hard and rocky like cement. Something dripped in the corner, the acrid stench made Hotch sure it was sewer water. A bolted door faced him.

A small red dot blinked in a corner by the ceiling. A camera. This confirmed his suspicions. He was kidnapped.

He needed to find a way to alert his team, to get a message to the BAU-

Somebody groaned.

Hotch stiffened. That voice sounded familiar.

Another groan as someone regained consciousness, "Oh…wait…what the-"

"Morgan?" Hotch rushed towards the sound. He felt strong shoulders in the dark. Morgan instinctively reached out and grabbed Hotch's arm as a reflex. He relaxed once he realized it was his boss.

"Hotch, is that you?"

"Yes, are you alright?"

"I think so," Derek nodded. Hotch's eyes were adjusting, "I can't see a damn thing."

"It's okay, it will take a few minutes."

"What is this place?"

"A cell. Floors of cement, walls of plaster. Bolted door. Basement level."

"Basement level?" Morgan thought, "Oh, right - the water."

The dripping water meant they were below sewage pipelines.

"No contact from the kidnapper?" Derek slowly rose to his feet.

"Nothing yet, I'm hoping for-"

"Whoa-" a new voice spoke up, "where-where are we?"

"Emily?" Derek and Hotch crossed the room towards the sound. They found Prentiss coming to as well. Both male agents helped her stand, steadying her as she held her forehead.

"Are you hurt?" Hotch pressed.

"No," she said, "just a bad headache. What is this place? What are we doing here?"

"I don't know…my memories are all so fuzzy." Derek growled under his breath.

"It's okay," Hotch cooled him down, "we'll figure it out. In the meantime, the three of us need to stick together-"

"Make that the four of us…."

"Reid?" Derek's eyes widened and he circled the cell, trying to pinpoint the location of the young doctor.

"Here…" Derek crossed the room and knelt down by Spencer. Reid was lying against the wall, trying to shake away his grogginess.

"Reid, are you okay?" Hotch called.

"Yeah, I think so," Reid cleared his throat. He held the wall as he shakily stood upright, "is that the last of us?"

"I think so," Hotch nodded as he stood by Prentiss, "my eyes have adjusted. I don't see anyone else."

"Hopefully that leaves Rossi, JJ, and Garcia back at the BAU," Emily affirmed, "we need to find a way to contact them."

"We've been stripped of our phones, badges, weapons, and other belongings," Reid felt his pockets, "just left with the clothes on our backs."

"That'll have to do," Hotch said firmly, "everyone, observe your surroundings. Let's try to get as familiar as we can with our situation."

"The door is secured like a bank vault, there's no way we're getting out through there. We already know the walls are made of plaster and the floor is cement," Morgan spoke, "Hotch, you confirmed it."

"We can't dig our way out then, but I'm sure with enough force we can ram down these walls. They are made of plaster after all," Prentiss piped up.

"We're basement level. There are pipes in the corners dripping sewer water in here," Hotch shook his head, "we can't dig, and if we ram the walls we might compromise the structural integrity of the cell. We're underground, we'll get buried under the rubble."

"There's a camera in the corner too," Reid nodded upwards, "Big Brother is watching."

"I thought _we_ were supposed to be Big Brother," Morgan scoffed, "whoever he is, he hasn't made contact yet. He could be waiting for something."

"Yeah, but what?" Prentiss asked.

"What's the last thing we remember?" Hotch pressed.

All heads turned to Reid.

"Hmm," the young doctor closed his eyes and tried to concentrate, "let's see. We were all working late at the office. If I recall correctly, JJ went home to look after Henry, Rossi was meeting a former colleague, and Garcia was going to have date night with Kevin. We all stayed behind and kept working."

"Right," Morgan nodded, "I remember now. I was looking over a kidnapping case."

"It was late, around midnight, when I was getting ready to leave," Reid continued, "Morgan, you were walking out with me. I-I think we had just made it to the parking lot when someone came at us from behind…"

"Yeah," Derek nodded, slowly remembering, "It was a sedative of some kind. I felt something sharp prick my shoulder."

"It's still a little fuzzy," Emily spoke, "but what you guys are saying sounds familiar. I remember walking out the doors, but never making it to the car."

"Mine was a similar situation," Hotch said definitively, "the unsub attacked us in the parking lot, that much we can make clear."

"But why not hit Garcia, Rossi, and JJ?" Morgan asked, "They exit the same parking lot we do."

"Maybe the unsub arrived after they left," Prentiss reasoned.

"Reid," Hotch looked to the young doctor, "what time did the others leave the office?"

"If I remember correctly, around 10:00-10:30 PM."

"That means the unsub must have arrived between 10:30 PM and midnight," Emily nodded. Some pieces were falling into place.

"A sedative is quick and efficient. To use chloroform would require strength due to a struggle with the victim. Our unsub is probably smaller in stature and not as confident in his methods," Reid explained thoroughly.

"Good, so we can take him," Morgan flexed his fists.

"Settle, Derek," Hotch cooled him, "we'll find a way out."

"Hopefully soon?" Reid said shakily, "I, uh…I-I don't really like the dark."

"Right," Hotch nodded. He vaguely remembered the young doctor having a slight phobia of it, "we have an idea of our surroundings and profile of our unsub. With those, we have a good possibility of getting out of here."

"How do we contact the BAU?" Prentiss asked, "Do they even know we're gone?"

"Man, we don't even know if it is day or night!" Derek shouted in frustration, "We could be anywhere!"

"It's a difficult circumstance, but we can get through it," Hotch said firmly.

"Should we knock the camera out?" Prentiss' eyes darted to the corner of the room.

"That's the only form of communication we have with the unsub," Reid reasoned, "I say we leave it be."

"But what if the unsub sees or hears our plans?" Morgan raised a questioning brow.

"We're going to have to take that chance," Hotch looked at his agents, "Reid is right. Without it, we have nothing."

"Okay," Morgan agreed, "but we need to do something. What is this guy waiting for?"

"If he's watching his victims, he's getting pleasure out of something," Reid commented, "but what?"

"Does he want to watch us…die?" Prentiss said in a small voice.

"No," Hotch emphasized the word sternly, "nobody is dying."

"He's right, Emily," Morgan gripped her shoulder reassuringly, "we can't think like that."

"Back to Reid's theory," Hotch quickly changed the subject, "what might he be enjoying about this? What are we doing that satisfies him?"

"He's kidnapped four federal agents," Reid huffed, "I call that a criminal accomplishment. It could be related to a power complex, to satisfy his ego knowing that he can control our fate."

"We catch criminals for a living. To him, catching us is probably a definite confidence builder," Prentiss pursed her lips.

"Good," Hotch nodded, speaking in a low voice to prevent the unsub from hearing, "we can use that against him. We need to seem vulnerable, to make him think he has complete control over us. As we mentioned before, the fact that the unsub used a sedative and not chloroform indicates a smaller male. He's self-conscious and unsure of himself. He'll slowly build more confidence then react if we make ourselves seem weak."

They all nodded subtly as not to alert the unsub.

Prentiss initiated their plan. She spoke loudly, loud enough for the feed to pick up their audio, "This is ridiculous, Hotch! You are our leader, get us out of here!

Perfect, she wanted the unsub to think their was disunity and friction between them.

"I didn't hire you to complain, Emily," Hotch's tone was scalding, yet his heart clenched with guilt for yelling at his trusted agent, "you should be able to navigate your way out of a challenging situation with ease. If you can't, I suggest you resign your position as a federal agent."

"Now hold on!" Reid inserted himself into the fake argument, "Let's say only one of us can make it out of here. Who do we choose? I personally think it should be me."

A brilliant play by Dr. Reid.

"Wait a minute now," Morgan tutted, "if anyone should be getting out of here, it should be me!"

"Why you?" Emily sized up Morgan, "Why not me? Or Hotch? He has a wife and kid."

"We've all got families," Reid pitched in, "but I'm obviously the smartest one here. If I escape first, then I can come back for you all. It's the most logical choice."

"And who says you will?" Hotch raised a challenging brow, "Who says you won't just leave us here to die and save yourself?"

It was blatant to all of them that the young doctor would never do that, but it was good material for the unsub.

"You may be the smartest, but I'm the strongest," Morgan countered, "I can fight our way out if I escape first."

Almost there…any moment now…

"Enough! We can go round and round in circles like this," Emily prepared the perfect set up, "but obviously the unsub has beat us. He outsmarted us, he was too good."

That did it.

Hotch silently applauded her.

A voice like a snake hissed over the loudspeaker, " _I couldn't have said it more perfectly myself, Agent Prentiss."_

Hotch eyed all of his team members. A silent message passed between them: listen, observe, look for clues for the profile.

Prentiss did her best to make her voice shake and sound fearful, "Can-can you hear us…?"

" _Of course I can_ ," the unsub purred, " _there is no reason to be afraid, dear one."_

Emily wanted to vomit in disgust.

"What do you want from us?" Hotch asked firmly.

" _Time will tell, Agent Hotchner, The first trial has nearly begun."_

"Trial?" Morgan questioned, "What are we being tested for?"

No response.

The unsub didn't like that question or didn't want to answer it.

"Looks like he's done talking," Hotch focused on his team again, "quick, call out what you remember."

"An older male by the sound of his voice. No slang words, proper grammar. Educated," Reid quipped.

"Good," Hotch nodded, "what else?"

"He said 'dear one', like a father figure or a protector," Morgan recalled.

"That coincides with our power complex profile," Emily nodded, "he thinks he is above us, so he has the capability to protect or guide us, like a guardian."

"He mentioned something about trials. I don't know what they can be, but we need to prepare ourselves," Hotch warned the group.

"The unsub refused to answer what he might be testing us for," said Reid, "but I don't think it's because he didn't feel confident enough."

"Now he's _too_ confident," Morgan scoffed, "he feels more powerful since he's holding the strings of this operation. We can't see him and we have no contact. This is his world, he can answer if he pleases."

"Right," Emily sighed, "but how are we going to contact the BAU? Who knows what these trials may be, we need the back up, we need to get out of here."

"We'll figure something out when the opportunity arises," Hotch affirmed, "right now we focus on what these trials are and how we can use the materials at hand. The profile is our greatest weapon."

"Wait, guys," Reid shushed the group, "does…does anybody else hear that?"

The four fell quiet instantly.

A faint hissing noise echoed through the dark cell.

 _Hsssssssssss._

Like the sound of a leaky gas pipe.

"Oh no," Emily gasped, "It's knockout gas!"

"Quick!" Hotch started to shed his suit jacket. He pressed the black fabric against his nose and mouth to delay the effects of the gas, "Where is it coming from?!"

"Over here-" Spencer coughed. He was closest to the pipe.

Morgan pressed his nose in the crook of his arm and pulled Reid away from the pipe. They crowded against the farthest wall as a white mist started to cloud the air.

Prentiss was covering her noise with the collar of her shirt. Her heart was beating fast. The room was becoming foggy. Hotch was to the right of her and Reid to the left. Suddenly, her left side felt cold. Reid slouched against the wall, the gas starting to take affect.

"No!" Morgan's yell was muffled. He crouched down by the young doctor, shaking his shoulder, "Come on, kid! Stay with me!"

Reid was closest to the pipe when the gas started to spread through the cell. He didn't have protection against the chemicals and was starting to go unconscious.

"Morgan!" Hotch shouted at him through the jacket, "Is he okay?!"

Prentiss watched in dismay.

"I…I…," Reid's eyelids fluttered, "I think I'm going to sleep now…"

Spencer's head lolled forward against his chest. He was out.

Morgan began to cough. When he crouched down by Reid, he let his arm go from his face. He was exposed. Derek's vision was beginning to get blurry and he staggered.

Prentiss felt her legs get wobbly and an overwhelming urge to sleep overcome her. She slid to the floor. E numbly felt Hotch grab her arm to try and pull her up, but she was succumbing to the

Hotch started to feel the effects. He knealt down and tried to press his jacket against Emily's nose and mouth to prevent her from inhaling anymore gas. She was nearly unconscious. Exposed to the air, Hotch felt his legs start to give out from underneath him. He blearily fell to his side, fighting to stand.

The white mist engulfed the entire cell now.

Morgan fell forward, by Reid's feet. His eyes were fighting to stay open.

Prentiss' head fell on Spencer's shoulder.

Hotch lay on his back, facing the bolted door of the cell.

The door opened.

A dim light poured into the dark cell.

A figure wearing a gas mask walked inside the room. The unsub.

He closed the distance between the federal agents and the doorway.

Hotch tried with all his might to sit up, to no avail.

The gas mask stared right down at him before moving forward towards the young doctor, Spencer Reid.

The unsub pulled Reid's listless body forward, dragging him by his arms out of the cell.

Without the support of Reid's shoulder, Prentiss dropped to the floor. Morgan's last sight was an unconscious Reid being pulled outside of their cell to the unknown.

Hotch reached forward with his remaining strength, trying to grip Reid's converse sneaker in an effort to pull him back. His fingers barely grazed the sole. He watched without hope as one of his team was being dragged to something unkind and unpleasant, and he couldn't do anything to stop it.

Hotch's head hit the floor and the world went black.

 **Chapter 2 coming soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for all the favorites/follows/reviews! Here's the next installment! Enjoy! Leave me some love in the review section!**

A sharp sound pierced Hotch's ears. It sounded like a voice, but the words were not quite clear yet.

"Hotch!"

His eyes opened and he sat upright quickly. Memories of the last few hours crashed his brain and a mixture of emotions bundled themselves inside his chest.

Morgan felt relieved as his supervising agent finally awoke. He turned and called to Emily, "Prentiss, he's awake!"

"Finally," she rushed over and knelt by him, "Hotch, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he brushed them away and stood upright steadily, "Reid?"

"Gone," Morgan looked to the floor, "the unsub took him."

"I remember," Hotch sighed, "any contact from the unsub?"

"No," Derek shook his head, "but some new equipment. There's a small monitor in our room now in addition to the camera. It looks wireless, so we can't trace it to any openings in the walls."

Hotch looked across the room to see a small black monitor as Derek mentioned. It sat on the cement floor, lifeless.

"Did it show anything?"

Morgan shook his head. So far, they had nothing. No information, no clues, no Spencer Reid.

"What could the unsub want from Reid?" Prentiss asked.

"A bargaining chip?" Derek thought.

"But we have nothing to offer," said Hotch, "we woke up in this cell with nothing. What could he possibly want to negotiate?"

"What appeals to his power complex?" Prentiss paced, "He could've just taken him for the satisfaction of knowing that we can do nothing about it, that he can take one of us and the others are powerless to stop him."

An angry Morgan had to take a few steps back to cool himself. He hated the fact that he could do nothing to help Reid. He should've been able to stop the unsub.

"Morgan, don't be defeated. None of us could do anything to stop him. As the supervising agent, I accept the responsibility of whatever happens to Reid, alright?" Hotch looked at him firmly, "The best thing we can do for him now is try and find a way out and catch unsub."

"You're right," Derek sighed and nodded in agreement, yet he still felt guilt gnaw at him. He rejoined Emily and Hotch, "what do we do?"

"As I was saying," Prentiss resumed, "we should theorize how taking Reid could appeal to the unsub's power complex."

"When the unsub took Reid, I assume the trial would have begun, right?"

"It had to be," Emily nodded, "but is he testing Reid? Is he testing us? It's all so unclear."

"There needs to be more contact from the unsub," Hotch deduced.

"Do we need to fake argue again?" Morgan said in a hushed tone.

"No, we already got the ball rolling," Hotch shook his head, "the unsub's plan is playing out his fantasy accordingly. He feels confident enough to speak without our help."

"So it's just a matter of time," Derek groaned, "and who knows what's happening to Reid."

"We've got to stay positive," Prentiss patted his broad shoulder reassuringly, but she felt worry eat at her heart.

Where was Reid? Why did the unsub take him? What was happening to him?

"Time will tell," Hotch looked at her as if he read her mind.

 **Meanwhile, at the BAU...**

Agent Rossi sipped his morning coffee as he walked inside the BAU office. The clock read 8:00 AM on the dot. He walked up the stairs to his office, greeting a few of the staff members along the way. He passed by Hotch's office, sticking his head in to bid his fellow agent a good morning.

The room was empty.

 _Strange_.

Hotch must've spent another late night at the office.

Rossi looked to the bullpen and saw JJ sitting at her laptop, engrossed in her files. She was alone, Morgan, Reid, and Prentiss still had yet to show. Through the doorway, he saw Garcia in a colorful outfit walk to her office. She yawned as she held a large coffee mug in her hands.

"Good morning," Rossi walked by JJ's desk. He was still carrying his briefcase and coffee.

"Morning," she smiled back at him.

"You're here early," he commented.

"Yeah, thought I'd get a head start," JJ replied kindly.

"Are Reid, Morgan, or Prentiss in yet?" Clearly they weren't, their desks were empty. No bags, no purses, no papers, no coffee mugs. There was no indication they checked into the office.

"No," she furrowed her brows, "Hotch is not in either, huh?" she looked around Rossi and noticed their boss' empty office.

"Not yet," Rossi didn't want her to worry, she was busy with her work. He couldn't distract her, "I'm sure they'll be here soon enough."

"Right," she nodded.

Rossi returned to his office, still pondering.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Reid felt himself slowly come to. His vision was blurry at first, but after a few blinks he could see clearly. His body rested in a rather uncomfortable position, like he was cramped in a small closet. He couldn't tell just yet, his eyes hadn't adjusted.

He shivered a little, uncomfortable with the darkness. Reid didn't like the fact of not knowing. His entire life he used his senses and mind to defend himself; in the dark, his very mental tools betrayed him and he was left useless.

"Hello?" he called. His voice echoed back to him, reverberating off the walls. It seemed as if the walls were very close this time, not far away like has in a large room. Where was he…?

A harsh, bright light suddenly shone above him.

Reid flinched and protected his sensitive eyes from the light. He adjusted in a few moments and got a good look at his surroundings. Spencer stood up a little shakily, still trying to shake off the effects of the gas.

He was in a tall glass tank. The entire compartment was probably three feet wide and seven feet tall, just big enough to fit his tall, lanky form. Reid stuck his hands out, banging against the glass. It looked about three inches thick, there was no way he was breaking through it. His shoe hit something with a _cling_ and he looked down to see a drain at the bottom of the tank.

 _What was it for? To clean a mess? To wash away blood?_

When he looked up, he was met with the bright light. He couldn't stare at it too long, for it hurt his sensitive eyes. He had been in the dark for so long.

One thing was clear out of the scenario: Reid was trapped.

He seemed to be in a new cell of his own now. It looked identical to the one the team was in earlier, but this one was empty. No familiar faces except the red blink of a camera in the corner of the room. He didn't know where Hotch, Morgan, or Prentiss were, probably in another cell like this as they had been before.

Why did the unsub take him? Did Reid know him? What was he planning? Questions crowded his brain with no answers.

"Hey!" Reid pounded against the glass, "Talk to me! Where am I?"

No response.

He was locked inside this tank, he could run out of air soon. Was he going to suffocate to death? Was that to be his fate?

Reid felt a dark feeling grow in the pit of his stomach. He was in this cage, but he felt like something much more sinister was coming, something much worse than suffocating to death.

Spencer patted his clothes and pockets, but he had nothing on him, no tools to help him escape.

There had to be a way the unsub put him in here, a doorway or a hatch of some kind. The only option was up. He tilted his head and looked up again, forcing himself to endure the harsh light. He blinked rapidly, a reflex of his eyes, but he saw a large, heavy padlock attached to a sealed doorway at the top. He jumped, but his fingers barely grazed the tip.

Reid swayed a little when his feet touched the ground again. He hadn't eaten in a while and the chemicals from the gas were still wearing off.

 _Focus,_ Spencer told himself.

Their supposed trial had probably begun already, and he wasn't just placed in here for kicks. There had to be a reason he was put in here, and it was probably for leverage against Morgan, Prentiss, and Hotch. The unsub would threaten to harm Reid if the others didn't cooperate.

But threaten him with what?

As if one cue, a large alarm blared through his cell. Red lights flared, bathing everything in the color of blood.

Startled, he covered his ears and instinctively crouched to the floor of his cage. Reid looked around wildly, trying to locate the source of the alarm or the unsub.

He stood up and took a step forward.

 _Splash._

Confused, Reid looked down to see. Water started to seep out of the drain and pool around the rubber soles of his converse.

 _Not good._

The drain started to spill the water out into his tank faster and faster. Soon, his shoes were completely submerged and his black pants were getting soaked.

Reid knew where this was going. There was no way out, top or bottom. When that tank filled, he'd be submerged. He'd drown.

"Hey!" Reid pushed through the water and to one of the glass walls. He banged against it, "Let me out! Please!"  
No response yet again.

His best chance would be to wait until the water filled up enough that he could float to the top and try to unlatch the hatch as quickly as possible, with no tools, supplies, or oxygen to help him.

The water reached his knees now. In a few minutes it'd pass his stomach, his chest, his neck, then his head.

After that, there'd be nothing left of him.

 _I love you, mom,_ Reid silently thought to himself, _I'm sorry, guys,_ _forgive me._

 **Chapter 3 coming soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's Chapter 3! Enjoy! Leave me a fav/follow/review to let me know what you think!**

Prentiss watched as Hotch paced the cell. He looked to be deep in thought as he mumbled ideas to himself.

In truth, they knew too little about the unsub to continue with the profile. All the facts they gathered were from the sound of his voice and his method of attack. Sure, their findings were significant, but there was no way of telling what was happening to Reid at the moment.

Her back lay against the wall as she sat on the floor, thinking these dark thoughts. Morgan was playing around with the small monitor for the fifteenth time. It was a way to get his mind off of Spencer.

"Anything?" Hotch broke his pace for a moment, looking at Derek.

Morgan shook his head.

Hotch resumed pacing.

This was the routine for the past half an hour.

"Should we run through the facts again?" Prentiss elected, trying to calm the guys down, "Maybe we can come up with new ideas."

Hotch and Morgan readily agreed, anything to keep themselves busy.

"Okay, here's what we know," Hotch began, "The unsub kidnapped the four of us in the FBI parking lot using a sedative. The unsub struck between 10:30 PM and midnight. We woke in this cell, the amount of time that passed between the kidnapping and now is not definite."

Morgan continued, "The unsub has a power-complex that is fueled by our vulnerability. Using chloroform would've required strength to endure struggle from the victim. Our unsub used a sedative which indicates someone of smaller stature. He started to gather confidence once we arrived. He has made contact once, voice only."

"Spencer Reid was taken to an unknown location by the unsub after a form of knockout gas was administered in our cell. It is unclear how long we were affected by the chemicals of the gas, but when we woke there was a new equipment addition in our cell: a small black wireless TV monitor. No further contact from the unsub or Reid," Emily concluded.

" _Well done. An accurate summary indeed."_

The three FBI agents stiffened.

The hissing voice of the unsub crackled throughout the cell.

This was their chance.

"Please, where is the agent you took from this cell?" Hotch asked, his voice sounded slightly strained. By adding the word "please" it gave the message a more helpless tone, giving the unsub more confidence.

" _That is none of your concern right now, but I assure you he is doing_ _ **swimmingly**_ _."_

"Why did you take him?" Morgan spoke.

" _It is part of his trial."_

"I thought you were testing us?" Emily countered.

" _No, your trial is just beginning,"_ he sounded terse, " _enough about the missing agent."_

Morgan clenched his teeth in anger but knew he couldn't push it. If he riled up the unsub, he might hurt Reid even more. _Hang in there, kid._

"Why do we have a separate trial?" Prentiss asked.

" _That is none of your concern."_

"Okay," Hotch sounded slightly irritated, "what _is_ our concern?"

" _It is time to play a game."_

"Game?" Prentiss scoffed.

" _I will give you three clues. You three will identify the nature of the suspect with one of your profiles, and tell me how he/she committed the crime."_

"Why would we do that?" Morgan shouted in frustration, "We're not here to solve your riddles!"

No response.

Derek gulped. Bad idea.

The monitor sitting on the floor across the room flickered to life. The screen displayed grainy footage of Reid stuck in a large, water-filled, glass tank. Prentiss, Hotch, and Morgan rushed to the small monitor.

"Oh no, Reid!" Derek shouted, looking at the footage in dismay.

They were horrified. The monitor showed Reid banging against the walls, shouting inaudibly. He was coughing and trying to stay afloat. All the rest could do was sit and watch helplessly. He was arm-deep in water, and it just kept filling the tank faster. In a few short minutes, Reid would be completely submerged, and they'd have to watch him drown.

"Let him go," Hotch growled, " _now_."

" _Not until you and your team comply, SSA Hotchner."_

Emily wanted to throw up. What was this sick game? She wanted to reach in and free Reid, but she knew there was nothing that could be done except play along. They all knew that, they just didn't want to accept it.

"Come on," Emily sighed, whispering to Derek who was looking at the screen like his life depended on it. His mouth was open in horrified shock and his eyes wide with guilt and dismay "we need to do what he says. Follow the profile, remember?"

Morgan's voice cracked, "I-I can't do it with him trapped in there. He-he's going to die, Emily…"

"There's nothing we can do from here except play the unsub's game," the BAU leader stood above Derek. Prentiss looked up at him. Though his voice was unflinching, his eyes were filled with rage, "Reid needs you at your best, Morgan. This could mean his life."

At that, Derek snapped out of his slump. He looked at the helpless Reid, shouting, coughing, swimming, and banging against the walls but there was no escape. _I'm coming for you, buddy._

Determination flowed through him and Derek stood up, ready to face whatever challenge was thrown at him. He was prepared to take on the unsub, ready to get Reid, ready to deliver justice. Morgan had to contain those sentiments for now. The time would come.

"Okay," Hotch said in his deep baritone voice as he stared at the camera, "let's begin."

" _Excellent_."

"What are the terms?" Emily wanted clarification.

" _I will provide you with three scenarios to which your team will produce a profile for each of them. You have one minute to solve the three cases. 20 seconds per case. If you successfully accomplish this task, I will release your captive friend."_

"Twenty seconds per case?" Hotch scoffed, "That's impossible."

"I was led to believe your team was of the elite, SSA Hotchner. I am sure your group can manage fine."

"We've got to do it," Morgan felt his heart race, "it's Reid's only chance."

Emily stole a glance at the monitor against her better judgement. Reid was still struggling, the water at his collar bone now. He was swimming in place, trying to stay afloat.

"Alright," Hotch ground his teeth, "let's begin."

" _Perfect_."

Morgan closed his eyes for a moment, _stay with me, Reid, come on. We'll get you out, just hang in there._

The unsub's voice echoed through the cell, the three agents were listening intently.

" _I present to you the first case. A teenage girl is raped, beaten, and killed. Her body was left in a cemetery and her killer was never caught. Produce the profile. Begin."_

"Sexual sadist," Morgan spoke immediately, "but he leaves her in a cemetery as an act of remorse or as a sacrifice for a religious act."

"I'd say the latter is less likely," Hotch remarked, "it's rare to have the combination of a sexual sadist and remorse."

"The unsub had a partner in crime," Emily looked to her colleagues, "the sexual sadist would commit the violent act, while the partner disposed the body in the cemetery to be found and given a proper burial."

Hotch concluded, "Look for DNA prints along the body, dirt under fingernails, blood that doesn't match the victim, and the injuries for more evidence."

" _18 seconds. Well done."_

"Give us the next one," Morgan growled. He looked at the monitor, Reid was up to his chin in water. He was swimming towards the top of the cage, trying to break free, "Hurry!"

" _I present to you the second case. A wealthy oil tycoon was murdered in his mansion, stabbed nearly 15 times in the abdomen. Upon further investigation, the police discovered the victim was missing his eyeballs. The unidentified subject left the victim's appendages on the his bedroom pillow. Produce the profile, begin."_

"An enucleator," Hotch spoke, "usually a male unsub, he steals the eyeballs of his victims, but normally doesn't keep them. He places them nearby as a symbolic act."

"They are messy, disorganized killers," Prentiss continued, "that explains the brutal stabbing attempts on the victim. The unsub would have removed the eyes before the killing, not aware that removing them after death would make the process more efficient."

"You're looking for a male suspect with a connection to the victim," Morgan concluded, "someone who was seeking revenge for a past harm. Since our killer is disorganized, it's likely there is evidence at the scene, like a fingerprint or blood."

" _19 seconds,"_ the unsub cooed, " _you're getting sloppy_."

That was close, too close. They needed to pick up the pace, for Spencer. Speaking of which, Emily turned her head to the monitor to check the young doctor's condition?

The moment her eyes caught sight of the footage, she was horrified.

"Oh no!" Prentiss gasped, "Reid!"

Morgan and Hotch raced over to the monitor. Derek almost didn't want to look….

The water was up to Reid's cheeks now! He was gasping for breath, hands scrambling at the padlock latched at the top of the tank. His legs kicked at the water to stay afloat as the drain kept pouring it into the glass cage. They were out of time.

"Let him go!" Morgan shouted angrily, his tone snarling.

" _There is still one more profile to complete,"_ the unsub said with maniacal glee.

"Come on then!" Hotch growled, "What's the next profile?"

"Hotch!" Derek protested, "Reid will die!"

"He's going to have to hang in there," the supervising agent barked, "there's nothing else we can do!"

"We're wasting time!" Emily panicked. She looked up at the ceiling, "Give us the next profile!"

" _I present to you the third case. Four children are kidnapped from a suburban neighborhood. Three days after each kidnapping, the children are found dead, with a note stating "REST IN PEACE." The autopsy results determine the children were drugged and asphyxiated. Produce the profile."_

"It has to be a woman," Prentiss panted, "a higher percentage of females leave an explanation after killing, hence her note."

"She probably lost a child herself," Hotch furthered their findings, "the kids must've had physical similarities to remind the unsub of her child. SIDs is the most common killer of infants, that is the most probable reason."

"You're looking for a female unsub, disorganized. She drugs and asphyxiates the children to mimic the death of her own child," Morgan snarled, "There's your profile! Now, let Reid go!"

The three waited for a grim moment. Neither of them moved a muscle, waiting for the unsub to speak. Hotch's eyes darted to the screen on the monitor.

Reid was completely submerged. He was banging against the glass in earnest, trying anything to break free. The only chance he had was them.

Morgan's breathing was heavy. He kept switching between looking at the camera lens and the monitor. Reid's motions were getting slower and more sluggish. He was out of air now, his eyes were fighting to stay open.

This was it. This was the end of Dr. Spencer Reid.

Emily turned away. She couldn't watch it.

"Please…" Morgan whispered.

The tank shattered into a million glass shards.

Reid felt gravity betray him as he was sucked out of the cage and dragged to the cement floor by the water's current. He coughed and gasped for air, feeling fresh oxygen enter his lungs. The world seemed numb, his ears were ringing, and his vision was foggy. There was a dull pain all over his body, and he'd have to take his clothes for a serious dry cleaning at the laundromat, but he was alive.

He was alive.

Reid didn't think he'd make it. He believed that his life would end there in that glass cage, the water slowly lulling him to a deep, permanent sleep. In fact, those last few minutes in the cage were a rollercoaster of emotions. He felt scared, confused, calm, tired, and desperate. Now, he felt relieved.

He tried to sit up, but couldn't just yet. Reid just lay on his back, trying to regain his bearings. Glass crunched beneath him.

The door unbolted.

Reid lifted his head weakly, still trying to catch his breath. A masked figure entered the doorway. He immediately knew it was the unsub.

 _Get up,_ he told himself, _come on, get up!_

He just couldn't. Reid was tired and weak, he needed some time to recover.

The figure's heavy boots crunched the glass shards as he inched closer and closer to the young doctor.

Reid opened his eyes and the gas mask was starting directly at him. His heart beat quickened. He was helpless against this man.

"Please," Reid coughed. His voice was hoarse, still trying to eject the water from his body, "Please, don't…"

A terrifying groan sounded from behind the mask. Reid later realized it was the unsub laughing.

Before his world went black, Reid recalled the unsub saying one more thing.

"Are you ready for the second trial?"

 **Chapter 4 coming soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you for all the love for this story! Here's chapter 4! Enjoy! Leave me a fav/follow/review!**

"Garcia, JJ," Rossi pressed his intercom, "can you both meet me inside my office please?"

Within minutes both BAU members walked through his office doors. They looked worried, the same thought on their mind: Where were Reid, Morgan, Prentiss, and Hotch?

"I know we're all thinking the same thing," Rossi started, "and I'm afraid we might have a situation on our hands."

"I've tried calling them all," JJ shook her head, "no answer."

"Let's have a look at the security footage," Rossi looked to Garcia, "can we do that?"

"Absolutely," she nodded. Garcia walked out of Rossi's office, both agents following behind her as they crossed into her territory. She sat down at her computer, feeling confident and familiar now that she was behind the keyboard. Rossi and JJ hovered next to her.

"Okay," she began, typing lightning fast, "let's see what we've got."

The three BAU team members scrubbed through the hours of security footage. Garcia stopped once the feed showed JJ leaving the building and enter the parking lot first.

"Stop," Rossi nodded, "good. Let's keep track of this. JJ was the first to leave. 9:58 PM."

JJ went over to the whiteboard and wrote down the time the camera caught her entering the parking lot.

Garcia continued the feed.

The footage kept going until Rossi was spotted entering the lot.

"I left," Rossi turned back, speaking to JJ, "around 10:13 PM."

JJ marked it down. Garcia continued.

Soon after, Garcia entered the frame. She walked to her car, unlocking it before sitting inside and pulling out into the street.

"Garcia, 10:21 PM. Got it, JJ?"

"Got it!" she called back.

"Okay," Garcia regrouped, "the last anyone saw of them was 10:21 PM last night."

"That was almost 12 hours ago," JJ felt her heart rate quicken, "what if-"

"No," Rossi held up a hand, "we can't think like that. We have to stay positive. Keep going, Garcia."

He was right. JJ tried to calm herself. She needed to keep a clear head if they were going to locate their friends.

Garcia went back to the footage.

"Okay, let's see…," she kept her eyes out for one of their missing members, "There! There's Prentiss!" Her voice was filled with relief.

"Thank God," JJ walked up to monitor, wanting to see her friend in real life to calm her riled nerves, "at least we know she's okay."

The raven haired agent crossed the parking lot. She was looking in her purse for her car keys.

"See," JJ smiled, "we have nothing to be worried about-"

A man emerged from behind a car and went sprinting towards Emily. He was wearing full black attire and a black cap that shielded his face from the cameras. She didn't hear him until the last second.

"No…" Garcia gasped. She was holding the computer mouse so tight she thought it would break under her grip.

Rossi and JJ were frozen behind her.

He faked to the right. Prentiss, instinctively, did the same. He pulled to the left, a move she wasn't expecting. He closed his arm across her throat and chest, pulling her towards the ground. His other hand plunged a syringe into her neck. The struggle was quick. She fell limp in his arms within seconds. JJ, Rossi, and Garcia could only watch helplessly as the man, keeping his back turned, dragged Prentiss out of the frame.

Rossi paused the video.

"But…but…," Garcia stuttered, "how…?"

"Keep playing the footage," Rossi said in an unwavering tone.

Garcia looked up at him incredulously, "No, no, sir," she choked, "I can't…."

"Garcia," JJ placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked stiff, trying to hold in her emotions, "We need to see it, please. Play the video, it might reveal the unsub."

Rossi didn't even flinch, "JJ, mark it down. Prentiss was kidnapped at 10:54 PM."

Garcia slowly turned back to the monitor and continued the footage.

A few minutes passed without a word. The trio looked blankly at the screen. Then, Spencer Reid and Derek Morgan walked into the frame. They looked happy and smiling, joking with one another. They didn't know what was going to come next.

"No, Derek-" Garcia gasped, "I can't watch this."

Rossi and JJ made space for her as she pulled out of her chair and walked out of her office. The two other BAU agents remained, watching the screen intently.

Reid walked about two steps ahead of Morgan. They were laughing with one another.

At the bottom corner of the frame, the man in black emerged again.

"Rossi-" JJ felt her breath hitch.

"It's okay," he sounded strong, "it's okay."

The man went for Derek first, a smart move. He stuck the syringe in his shoulder. Morgan looked behind him wildly, already staggering. Reid turned around, shocked. He lunged forward to catch Derek before he hit the ground. This gave the unsub the opportunity to stick Reid with a syringe too. Within minutes, the two were unconscious on the asphalt of the parking lot.

The unsub dragged Reid and Morgan out of the frame, same as he did with Emily earlier.

Rossi paused the footage, "11:32 PM."

It took JJ a few seconds to jolt back to reality. She slowly walked to the whiteboard, marking down the time.

"That only leaves Hotch," Rossi sighed.

 _No, not Hotch….,_ JJ thought to herself helplessly. Not their strong, fearless leader.

Rossi pressed play.

It was 12:03 AM when Hotch emerged from the BAU building. He walked through the lot, tall and stern. Rossi and JJ saw movement at the bottom of the screen - the unsub. The man in black's shoes scuffed against the concrete. Hotch heard it. He stopped dead in his tracks, looking to the source of the sound. The unsub stayed completely still as the seasoned FBI agent and BAU leader listened intently.

 _Come on, Hotch, come on! He's right there! Please hear him, please!_ JJ willed.

Hotch waited a few more seconds before he turned away, walking towards his car once again.

The unsub, more careful this time, took a side route. He was slightly obscured from the camera, but they could still make out shapes and movements from the lens. The man in black grabbed a stone from the ground and threw it across the lot. Hotch followed the noise, his head snapped in the direction opposite of the unsub. This gave the kidnapper the opportunity he needed; he rushed Hotch, stuck the needle between his shoulders so he couldn't pull it out, and stood back, shielding his face. Hotch wildly grabbed for the syringe with no success. He fell to his knees. It was like watching a felled tree. The BAU agent looked straight ahead at the unsub before he dropped to all fours, trying to crawl away slowly. Within seconds, Hotch lay motionless on the ground.

It was like a noble war general had fallen victim to the enemy.

"Get up, Hotch," JJ whispered to herself. She felt her eyes tearing up.

Rossi placed a hand on her shoulder.

The unsub dragged Hotch away as well. He joined Morgan, Reid, and Prentiss.

Rossi stopped the footage. JJ looked at him with a heavy heart.

"Well, we've got our next case," Rossi stormed out of the room, "kidnapping."

Garcia slowly walked back into the room, leaving some space between her and the bristling Rossi.

"JJ?" she said in a small voice.

"Yeah?" JJ wiped her eyes.

"Was it all of them…?"

She nodded grimly.

Garcia sighed shakily,

"It's okay, Garcia," JJ moved forward and wrapped her in a hug, "we're going to get them back. They're going to be alright."

Even though she said it, JJ had trouble believing it.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The monitor's screen went black.

It went black.

They had no idea what happened to Reid. The most probable rationale was that their friend and teammate drowned in the tank. They couldn't save him, they couldn't stop the unsub.

Emily watched as Morgan was on the verge of punching the walls. Hotch was as still as a statue. His gaze looked far away, his mind moving at a mile a minute.

Prentiss felt a tear roll down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away, hoping the others didn't see. She needed to be strong for the guys, they needed her as much as she needed them. They couldn't let the unsub continue like this.

"Hotch," Morgan breathed heavily, "What happened? What do you think he did? Did he kill Reid?"

"I don't know."

"Hotch-"

" _I don't know,"_ their boss growled aggressively. Morgan didn't even register his tone. He went back to pacing the cell.

"We did what he wanted," Prentiss spoke quietly, "we profiled the three cases, twenty seconds each, I-I don't understand…"

"We should never have believed he would have let Reid go," Hotch's fists were clenched so tight, his knuckles were white with effort, "why did I fall for it?"

Hotch was taking the blame.

"It was a group decision," Emily touched his shoulder lightly, "we all profiled the unsub together, we all thought he would release Reid-"

A hissing sound started to echo through the cell.

"No, no, no," Morgan said through clenched teeth, "Not again!"

"It's the gas!" Prentiss panicked. She placed her shirt fabric over her nose and mouth as she, Morgan, and Hotch backed up to the far wall. A white smoke was filling the cell.

"Cover up!" Hotch shouted through his suit fabric, "Don't inhale!"

Derek placed his arm over his nose and mouth, "Hotch! Last time the unsub came inside! This is our chance to grab him!"

"Are you crazy?!" Prentiss shouted, it was a little muffled, "With no weapons?! You'll get yourself killed! Tell him, Hotch!"

Emily looked over, but Hotch seemed like he was considering the idea.

"Hotch!"

"It's our only shot!" he looked back at her.

"This is not the way!" Emily argued. She looked at Morgan. His arm was no longer covering his nose and mouth. He was breathing in the gas! "Derek!"

"The gas!" he shook his head, "I don't feel the effects, I think it's just fog!"

"What?" Hotch let the fabric go from his face. He stood for a moment, testing the air, "You're right. I don't feel anything."

Prentiss hesitantly pulled her shirt away as well. Hotch and Morgan were right.

"Why is it just fog?" Emily asked. The cell was completely full of it now. She couldn't see two inches in front of her. She looked to her left, only barely glimpsing the outline of Hotch's arm. Morgan was completely shrouded in the smoke.

"Hotch? Morgan?" she called, trying to squint through the smoke.

Hotch placed a reassuring arm on her shoulder, "We're here."

"What's going on?" she heard Derek's voice.

The cell door unlatched.

"He's coming," Hotch said in a low voice.

"Do we rush him?" Morgan whispered, "Hotch?"

"You both are unarmed, unprotected, and can't see," Prentiss growled, "there is _no way_ I am letting you guys take on the unsub like that. Am I clear?"

"O-okay."

"Alright."

"Good," she nodded firmly, "now, stay quiet."

The door creaked open. Prentiss felt goosebumps rise on her skin. She wanted to see the unsub, put a face to the voice. Last time he entered, he was wearing a gas mask. The yellow glowing eyes still haunted her memory.

There was a shuffling sound at the doorway. Heavy breathing through a gas mask, the unsub was definitely here. Hotch could feel Morgan tense up beside him.

It sounded as if something was being dragged inside the room. Something heavy plopped on the ground. It sounded like a body…

Emily closed her eyes, willing for it all to end. She didn't want to see the wet corpse of Reid, her teammate, her friend. The heavy boots were slowly retreating out of the cell. The fog still blocked their vision (which she was slightly grateful for) but the three BAU agents stood silently against the wall.

The bolted door closed with a heavy clang.

The cell was silent for a few moments, the fog starting to clear. Prentiss felt her heart race. She turned away, she couldn't look.

Morgan surged forward. He plowed through the fog, Hotch right behind him. Derek was fanning away the smoke with his hands.

That's when Prentiss saw it - or him.

A sopping wet Reid lay on the floor. His eyes were closed, he was as pale as a sheet, his drenched clothes clung to his slender frame, and there was blood seeping on the cement floor.

"Oh my God," she whispered under her breath. She turned away, her heart hitching in her chest. Emily was fighting back her nausea and tears. Reid was dead.

"No, no," Morgan choked. He knelt down by the body, eyes filled with horror, "Reid, no…"

Derek looked up at Hotch for guidance, for some way he could magically bring the young doctor back to life.

Hotch stared at Reid with an unwavering gaze. His expression was unreadable.

"Hotch-" Prentiss started, her voice cracked. She stopped, knowing that if she continued speaking she wasn't going to keep it together.

Morgan looked straight ahead with a faraway gaze. This wasn't happening, this couldn't be happening. _Why him? Why Reid? You should've taken me,_ Derek thought blankly, _you should've taken me-_

"Wait."

Morgan and Prentiss looked up at Hotch. Their boss' brows were furrowed in concentration. In a split second, he moved forward by Reid's chest.

"Hotch…?" Emily asked, a sliver of hope in her voice.

Derek looked at him earnestly.

Hotch tilted his head to the side and pressed his ear against Reid's chest.

A few seconds passed like an eternity.

"He's still breathing."

"What?!" Emily shouted, shocked.

"He is?!" Morgan reacted instantly. He placed both hands on Reid's chest, starting compressions.

"There's probably still water in his lungs," Hotch said with a deadly calmness, "Morgan, keep up the chest compressions. Prentiss, cradle his head."

Emily scrambled forward and placed Reid's head in her lap. She brushed away the wet hair from his eyes. His face looked gaunt, the surroundings rings of his eyes a purple blue.

"Come on, Reid," Morgan said through gritted teeth as he continued with chest compressions, "come on, buddy, stay with me. Come on, breath, Reid, breath!"

Reid sputtered awake.

He coughed up water and sat upright. Everything came crashing to him - memories, senses, functionality, recognition, everything.

He felt the presence of people around him which was comforting. He wasn't submerged in a glass tank which was a good sign.

"Reid? Are you okay? Reid?!"

He recognized that voice.

Reid heaved for air, but was able to stabilize his breathing. He felt himself slowly regain function and he blinked away his spotty vision.

"Morgan…?"

He was enveloped in a bear hug, which he wasn't expecting. He could smell Morgan's cologne, knowing that it was his friend who was relieved he was alive.

"I thought we lost you, man…"

"You can't get rid of me that easily," he laughed, trying not to get crushed under Derek's grip.

Morgan let go, a big, relieved smile on his face. Hotch cracked a smile.

"Good to have you back, Reid."

"Glad to be here," he laughed, then coughed.

Prentiss blinked back tears. Now, they were tears of joy. Reid gave her that crooked smile of his, and she felt her heart swell with relief.

"You're hurt, man," Derek's brow creased with worry as he noticed the red marks all over Reid's skin and the blood on the floor.

"Glass," Hotch remarked, "Reid, did the tank shatter?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "I-I felt myself slowly going unconscious, and then I hit the floor. The glass broke around me, but I must've been cut when I was dragged out."

"Did you see the unsub?" Prentiss asked, "When the tank shattered, was he there?"

"N-no, I don't t-think so," he shivered. Now that he was awake, coldness seeped through his limbs and chilled his bones. He was freezing, wet, bleeding, and vulnerable.

"Oh no, Reid, you're shaking! His lips are blue," Emily fretted, "he's freezing!"

"I-I'm fine, r-really," he tried to sound convincing. It obviously didn't work.

Without another blink, Hotch shed his coat, prepared to give it to Reid. It was the only thing they had on hand for warmth.

"N-no, Hotch, you-you need it-t," Reid's teeth chattered. His wet clothes hung off him like weights.

"Nonsense," he said in his deep voice, "you're taking my jacket. That's an order."

Hotch's tone was non-negotiable. Morgan took the suit jacket from Hotch's hand and wrapped it around Reid's shoulders. The young doctor instantly felt better - and warmer.

"Good," Hotch nodded, now clad in his white button down and red tie, "Reid, tell us what you saw. What do you remember?"

"I was in a cell exactly like this one," he recounted, "except when I woke up, I was in the glass tank. There was a camera in the corner, he was watching me."

"Did he contact you?" Morgan asked.

Reid shook his head, "The only time we communicated was when he took me out of the cell. The water started to fill fast. I waited until I could reach the top of the tank to crack the padlock. It didn't work, obviously. The water filled to the top and I felt myself slipping when the tank just shattered. He came inside, wearing his gas mask, and told me to prepare for the second trial."

"The second trial?!" Morgan gawked, "You mean we have to go through this again?!"

Reid shivered at the thought.

"We can't let that happen," Emily shook her head in dismay.

"I'm afraid we won't have a choice," Hotch looked down. His voice was grim.

 _Hssssssss._

"Oh, no…it's the gas…." Prentiss spoke first.

They knew, they all knew. Their moment of relief and celebration faded fast. The second trial was beginning and there was nothing they could do to stop it. White gas started to seep into their cell.

"All of you," Hotch looked at each of them in turn, "I am proud to call you part of the team. Stay strong, stay sharp. We'll get through this."

"Not again…." Reid said in a small voice. He looked beat. Dark rngs circled his, he was pale as a ghost, his clothes were soaking wet, and little drops of blood ran down his body. He was practically drowning in the size of Hotch's coat.

The gas started to fill the chamber more and more. The weak Reid was the first to fall victim to the gas. Morgan, in an effort to shield him, inhaled too much and he succumbed as well. Prentiss was feeling dizzy, she grabbed the wall for support. Hotch was swaying on his feet, and he had to grip the wall for steadiness. She knew he hated it, not being in control of the situation.

"It's okay," she looked at him, sinking to her knees, "it's…okay…."

Emily fell victim to the gas.

Hotch closed his eyes, not wanting to allow the unsub the satisfaction of seeing him fight. He heard the door unlatch, the unsub entering again.

Hotch felt himself give out and his world went black. The second trial was beginning and they had no idea what was next.

 **Chapter 5 coming soon!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you for all the support for the last chapter! That's amazing! Here's the next chapter! I know a lot of you like a Reid-centric plot, so trust me when I say Reid is a very important character with a very important role in this story ;) stay tuned! Leave me a fav/follow/review!**

Derek woke first.

His eyes fluttered open, his vision swimming before finally settling. Morgan sat upright with a groan, holding his head. The unsub gassed them again, another one of his cruel tricks that signified the start of the second trial.

They barely survived the first challenge.

Morgan looked around the room. He was still stuck in the same cell at the complete will of the kidnapper. Hotch lay on his back a foot away from him. He was unconscious, just clad in his white button down and red tie. He gave his jacket to Reid. Reid, who was curled up against the wall, was drowning in Hotch's suit jacket. His skin was so white, it almost looked blue. The young doctor was still clad in his damp clothes. They had probably been unconscious for hours, that means Reid had been stuck in those wet clothes for the same amount of time. To top it all off, he was still lightly bleeding from the cuts on his body. The poor guy looked gaunt, his angular features jutting out of his skeletal skin.

Yet, something was missing - _someone_ was missing.

Emily Prentiss.

The unsub took her.

 _No, oh no,_ Derek thought to himself. He stumbled over to Hotch, their leader.

"Hotch," Morgan bent down and shook his shoulder, "Hotch, wake up, man!"

Slowly, the BAU leader returned to consciousness. He sat upright, trying to collect his bearings. His eyes darted around the cell, absorbing the situation in seconds. Reid and Morgan were accounted for, except, "Prentiss?"

"Gone," Derek said grimly.

Hotch exhaled sharply. His jaw clenched with anger.

"I'm sorry," Morgan dipped his head.

"You bear no responsibility for this, Morgan," Hotch said firmly, "this is my team, Agent Prentiss is my concern."

"Emily is my friend," Derek intervened, "all of ours. The unsub kidnapped her, you had no part in this either."

It looked as if Hotch had trouble believing that.

"Any contact from the unsub?"

Derek shook his head. The kidnapper hadn't spoken to them or showed them new footage from the little monitor he placed there. He knew it would be coming soon though.

A low growl echoed through the cell.

Hotch furrowed his brows and looked at Morgan who had a sheepish look on his face.

His stomach was growling from hunger.

"Sorry, boss," Morgan cleared his throat, "we've been here for a while…"

"We've got to keep moving," Hotch looked as if his brain was moving at a mile a minute, "Wake up Reid. The sooner we get moving, the sooner we can help Emily."

"Right," Derek nodded. He turned and jogged to Reid's side. Morgan extended a hand and immediately recoiled when he touched Reid's skin.

The poor guy was ice cold, he was freezing.

"Reid," Morgan gently shook his shoulder, "hey, buddy, wake up."

No response. Reid's eyes remained closed.

Morgan shook with a little more force, "Reid, come on, pal. Don't do this to me, man, wake up. Come on, Reid, wake up, wake up!"

Nothing.

Derek felt panic rise in his chest. He turned to Hotch. The BAU leader was too busy talking to himself and formulating plans that he didn't even register Morgan.

"Hotch!"

The leader turned around, jolted out of his thoughts by the worry in Morgan's voice, "Morgan? What's the matter?"

"It-it's Reid," Derek could barely say it, "he-he's not waking up."

 **Back at the BAU...**

"Garcia, JJ!" Rossi called from his office, "Do you mind coming in here please?"

Both blonde BAU agents hurried into his quarters, eager to begin finding their friends. They look to the senior agent eagerly.

"Tell me where we're at so far."

"I've been combing through security footage in a ten mile radius trying to create a timeline," Garcia began, "and to look for the unsub's vehicle."

"Good," Rossi nodded, "JJ?"

"I've contacted every field office in the state, everyone is looking for them," JJ sighed, "I just hope we find them…"

"We will," Rossi affirmed.

"The likelihood of finding a victim of a kidnapping significantly decreases after the first 24 hours," Garcia's voice shook, "guys, we're heading to that mark…"

"Positive thoughts, Penelope," Rossi stayed strong, "if anyone can last longer, it's Hotch, Rossi, Prentiss, and Reid. They're professionals, they can handle anything that comes at them."

"Right," JJ felt slightly encouraged, "right, they're going to be fine, they're going to be fine."

"That's the spirit," Rossi smirked, yet his eyes still looked dark, "let's run through a profile."

JJ stood up and walked to the whiteboard. They already jotted down the timecodes of their friends' disappearances, but now they needed to gather their facts and stitch together a profile.

"The unsub attacked late at night, in the dark, an empty parking lot, with a sedative," Rossi quickly pieced together, "he's not confident, he's doubtful of his actions so he uses the most effective measures to ensure success. An organized unsub."

JJ noted that on the whiteboard.

"I've been scrubbing through the footage," Garcia typed with frustration, "and I've spotted the van about two miles away from the BAU. He seems to have used a reflective lining on his license plate that refracts against the camera lens. I can't get a clear reading of the plate, there's a glare. I can tell you that it's a white 2009 Chevrolet Express Cargo."

"Damn," Rossi cursed under his breath, "he's clever. Thanks, Garcia, good work."

A phone rang in the distance, the sound coming from JJ's office.

"That's got to be one of the field offices. I'll be back," JJ walked quickly out of Rossi's office to catch the call.

Rossi pondered more. Garcia was still typing away on her laptop. He looked at her, her body language and expression. She was nervous and worried - she had a right to friends had been kidnapped by a psychotic unsub. Everyone knew Penelope and Derek had a close friendship, and come hell or high water she'd find them.

"We've got part of a profile, security footage of the act, and the model of the unsub's vehicle," Rossi dry washed his face with his hand, "nothing substantial to work with. This is going to be difficult."

Garcia stopped typing, she looked up at Rossi with her big eyes, "Sir, like you said earlier, we can't think like that. We have to believe they're okay, because-because...we have nothing else…"

Agent Rossi looked at her with a long, admirable stare. He was the senior agent here with the most experience in his years, yet Garcia the genius tech analyst of their group was giving _him_ advice and consolation.

"You're right," he dipped his head, "thank you."

She offered him a kind smile.

JJ came running back to Rossi's office.

"JJ?" he looked at her curiously.

"I got a cold from a field office thirty miles from here," she said, excitedly, "they've got something."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Hey!" Morgan shouted in the cell, "We need help over here! Please! Our friend is dying, he needs medical attention!"

"Morgan-" Hotch called.

"Please! Help us!"

"Morgan!"

Derek's worried eyes snapped towards Hotch. The BAU leader was knelt down by Reid. He had a hand on the unconscious doctor's shoulder, but his attention was directed to Morgan.

"We've got to do something, Hotch!"

"You've been yelling at the ceiling for the last five minutes," Hotch said with a firm tone, "he hasn't responded. We're wasting precious time."

Derek's eyes flitted to Reid and he immediately rushed over by Hotch. The kid looked worse for wear, but he was breathing. That still didn't seem like enough. Reid looked like an inch away from death.

"The unsub is only going to communicate in regards to the trial when he's ready," Hotch sighed with frustration.

"So what does that make Reid?" Derek argued, "Collateral damage?"

"I don't know," Hotch said in a low voice. He didn't even want to look at Reid or else his heart would fill with guilt, "but we can help him as much as we can. Come on, let's get him lying down."

A nervous Derek obeyed. He walked towards Reid's legs and grabbed a hold of his ankles. Hotch grabbed his arms and they spread him out on the floor.

"Hotch, what if he doesn't wake up…?" Derek choked, "I-I don't know what I'll do if-"

"He's breathing, that's what matters," Hotch responded with a sympathetic tone, "Reid is tough, we know that. If anyone can pull through this, it's Reid. When the unsub communicates again, we'll bargain with him."

"We've got Emily to think about too," Morgan shook his head, "how did we get in this mess?"

"I don't know, but I pray Prentiss is safe for now."

Hotch looked to the floor for a minute, trying to battle his overwhelming emotions.

"Come on," the BAU leader continued. Derek looked to him for guidance in this dire situation, and he had to stay strong. He had to make sure his team was ready for the next challenges, and he had to make sure he was leading with logic and objectivity, "let's care for Reid. All we can do now is wait for the unsub's next move."

 **Chapter 6 coming soon!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry this update took a bit! Enjoy the chapter, it's a good one! The next update will be here soon! Until then, leave me a fav/follow/review! Enjoy!**

Prentiss felt herself slowly come to. Her eyes were met with immediate darkness. She felt cold rock behind her. Her palm patted the wall she was resting on, it was made of pure concrete. She regained her bearings, slowly remembering the events from hours prior.

This was becoming a routine now. Gassed by the unsub, wake up, confusion, remember, trial, gassed again. She was really getting quite tired of it.

Her eyes were so used to focusing in the dark, that she was able to absorb her surroundings with ease. She was trapped in a cell, alone. It looked similar, if not identical, to the one she and the rest of the team were stuck in earlier. Of course, there was the customary camera in the corner watching her, the unsub's eyes.

So, she was the next trial. Prentiss assumed the unsub would continue the same routine with her as he did with Reid. He'd throw them cases to profile with a time constraint and threaten the rest of the BAU team with her safety. Emily growled with frustration, she hated that. She was not weak, she didn't want to be used as some damsel in distress. The profile revealed that that was the unsub's form of pleasure, he liked to see them vulnerable under his control. If the unsub showed face, she would be the first to make sure he understood that she was not going to obey his command easily.

Her trial looked simple enough, she wasn't stuck in some glass cage and drowning like Reid.

 _Reid…_

Her heart broke for him. She only prayed the condition of the young doctor was better than what it was before she was isolated. Despite the challenges he faced with the unsub's cruel trial, Reid still had his head in the game. He was still helping them profile, trying to find a way to escape. He even refused Hotch's jacket to keep warm.

There was nothing Emily could do but wait. She knew something ominous was coming, she knew this wasn't the only condition of her trial. The unsub would contact the BAU team soon enough and that would begin some cruel punishment.

 _Don't think about that,_ she told herself firmly, _what can you do now that'll help._

A question that had been prodding her brain was the unsub's logic in dividing the BAU team. First, he took only four of them. Garcia, JJ, and Rossi were (hopefully) still back at the BAU. He didn't touch them, he didn't kidnap them.

Now that Reid, Hotch, Morgan, and she were kidnapped, the unsub separated them even further. Why? Why was he only taking one of them out and keeping the other three together? What was the logic? What was he trying to say?

She was going to figure it out. She was going to endure the trial, whatever it may be, and she was going to report her findings back to the rest of the team.

Sure, the unsub might think she was helpless and alone by herself in some cell, but that didn't stop her. Let him think that, let his confidence build to the point of carelessness. That's when they'd strike, that's when they'd be at their strongest, and that's when they'd escape.

"Bring it on," she looked directly at the camera in the corner of the room.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Reid heard muffled sounds reach his ears. His mind was slowly returning to consciousness as he tried to regain his bearings. He registered familiar voices - Hotch & Morgan. No Prentiss.

 _No, no, no._ He remembered.

The second trial.

The kidnapping.

The unsub.

The tranquilizing gas.

The glass chamber.

Reid groaned, a sign of life.

"Hotch!" Morgan's voice pierced his ears, "I think he's waking up!"

The young doctor felt bodies move above him and strong hands grip his shoulders. He tried to sit upright, but his limbs were weak and….freezing. Reid felt like he just spent a night in an icebox. His teeth chattered, his body not able to produce enough heat. The wet clothes he wore earlier were still hanging off his form.

"Reid?" his boss' deep voice reached him, "Can you hear me?"

Reid forced his eyes to open. Morgan and Hotch helped him sit up, which he was silently thankful for. His eyelids felt heavy, pulling down and threatening to close. Reid fought to keep them open, hoping he didn't slip into unconsciousness again.

"Say something, Reid," Morgan pressed, "please, anything."

It was like trying to type instructions into an old computer that wouldn't cooperate. Reid's mind was telling his body to open his mouth and speak actual words.

 _Come on, Reid, come on._

"I-I-I," he stammered, teeth chattering from the cold, "I-I'm okay-y."

"Damn, the jacket is soaked too," Hotch pursed his lips, feeling the damp fabric on Reid's shoulders. They had nothing else to warm him up or dry him. The cell was below the surface, damp, and offered no warmth.

"What can we do?" Morgan looked at his boss with worry.

Reid opened his mouth to speak out in protest.

"No-" Morgan leveled him with a hard stare, "Reid, you are not okay. You are freezing cold, man, alright?"

The young doctor kept his mouth closed. Morgan was right, but he wasn't going to admit it. He was part of the team, he needed to help them figure out this unsub to escape. As much as he wanted to help, he didn't think he could offer assistance. His mind was moving very sluggishly, unable to work as efficiently. He needed to recollect his bearings still, to not focus on the chill seeping into his bones….

Reid sneezed.

"Bless you," Morgan sighed.

"Th-thanks," he offered a small smile.

"He's coming down with something," Hotch shook his head, "we need to reason with the unsub to get Reid some help."

"N-no," he argued weakly, "we n-need to f-focus on helping Em-Emily. I'll be-be just f-fine."

Derek completely ignored him, "What do we say? The unsub won't help us."

"No, but we have to find a way to make him," the BAU boss nodded, formulating a plan, "I think there's a way the profile will be able to assist us."

"How?" Morgan asked.

"The-the unsub h-hasn't contacted y-yet, has h-he?" Reid shivered, but looked eager to help with the profile.

Hotch shook his head, "Not yet, but he likes this vulnerability, he's feeding off of it. Reid, the worse you get, the more the unsub will be unwilling to help. This is going to be a difficult route for you, but you have to appear as healthy as possible if we want to continue with the upper hand."

"Hotch, there's no way he can do that!" Derek protested, "He needs to rest, he looks terrible!"

The young doctor shook his head with determination, looking at Morgan fiercely, "N-no," he cleared his throat, trying to stop from shivering, then gazed at his boss, "No, Hotch, I'll do it. I'll be fine."

"Reid, please-" Derek began.

Reid wouldn't have it. He gripped the wall with shaking hands and pulled himself haphazardly to his feet. His joints felt like they were covered with rust and were just experiencing movement for the first time in years. His clothes hugged his damp body, and Hotch's jacket hung off his shoulders. The young doctor felt uncomfortable, tired, and in pain, but he was persistent. He swayed for a moment, his knees buckled. Hotch was there, propping him back up.

Derek eyed him warily, "Hotch…"

"I'm fine," Reid looked at Morgan firmly. He wasn't going to satisfy the unsub by looking weak and vulnerable. The team needed him, and he needed them. They would work together, support each other, and escape.

The BAU leader looked at Reid carefully. He was observing his every move, making sure the young doctor wasn't bluffing and was ready to endure a difficult road. Reid did look tired and gaunt, cuts still covered his exposed skin, and he seemed to be drowning under his wet clothes, but his eyes burned with fierce determination. Hotch could sense that he was adamant to help them save Prentiss and escape. Regardless of what he chose, Reid was going to help with the case, come hell or high water.

"Reid," he looked him deeply in the eyes, "are you positive you can handle this?"

With no hesitation, Reid responded, "Absolutely."

He stood up taller and straighter, feeling slightly revived.

"Okay," Hotch nodded slowly, "let's continue."

"Hotch…." Derek sighed worriedly, "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Morgan, I am sure Reid appreciates the concern, but this is his decision," the BAU leader leveled him with a stare, "this is a situation nobody wants to find themselves in, but we have to deal with it as logically as possible. The unsub is only going to feel more confident if he sees Reid suffering like that. This way, we can gain the advantage again by diminishing the unsub's resolve and try to escape quicker to get Reid to a hospital. I know you don't like it, neither do Reid and I, but Emily is counting on us. We have to be there for her," Hotch looked at the young doctor next, "and for Reid."

Derek nodded slowly, knowing Hotch was correct. Reid wasn't going to just lie on the floor, listless and looking like a corpse. He wanted to join the case, he wanted to profile the unsub, and he wanted to save Prentiss as much as all of them.

Emily needed them, she might be in the same situation as Reid was. The unsub would contact them soon to initiate the second trial officially, and he hoped to God Prentiss was safe for now. If she emerged like Reid, they would all be in trouble…

Morgan couldn't think like that now. He had to focus on what he could control.

"Okay," he took a deep breath, "Reid," he looked at Spencer in all seriousness, "if you need to take a breather or anything at all, you let us know. We cannot risk your and Prentiss' safety by letting you get even worse. This is going to be hard, but we're here for you every step of the way."

"Alright," the pale Reid nodded in understanding, "thank you."

"Good," Hotch spoke sternly in a low voice to avoid the audio getting back to the unsub, "Prentiss is our priority. Let's start preparing for the second trial. As usual, look for clues to add to the profile. I've got an idea that might help."

"What?" Reid furrowed his brows.

"You'll see," he cleared his throat, "until then, stay sharp….this is going to get a little dangerous."

 **Back at the BAU...**

"Our field office in Lorton found tire tracks similar to the vehicle we're looking for," JJ barely could contain her excitement, "they looked like they were heading Southwest, near Lake Ridge."

"That's great news," Rossi stood up, feeling some encouragement flow through him once again, "JJ, contact that office, tell them we're on our way. We leave in ten."

"Can they send some picture samples?" Garcia asked, "so I can compare the model of the car to the tracks?"

"Right away," JJ nodded, disappearing down the hall towards her office.

Rossi moved, going to get his go-bag ready for their travels. He didn't want to let his relief show too much, to let the other agents know that he doubted finding the rest of the team. He lost hope there for a moment, and if it weren't for Penelope Garcia's advice and JJ's miraculous phone call, Rossi didn't think he would've been able to shoulder the burden of losing his friends. They were a close-knit team that relied on each other for nearly everything. If you hurt one, you hurt them all.

There were some things he still couldn't wrap his mind around. Why did the unsub just kidnap Reid, Prentiss, Morgan, and Hotch? What were his motives? Was there a connection between them? So many more questions racked his brain, but he knew they'd be revealed over time.

He headed to the parking lot, loading the black SUV for the drive to Lorton, just outside of D.C. Garcia elected to stay behind, to work the computer and help them with any technological problems at any moment. JJ clicked her seatbelt in place as she sat in the passenger seat. Rossi took the wheel and rolled out of the lot. The very parking lot his friends were kidnapped.

He sighed before he pulled away completely. Rossi walked in here this morning, through this parking lot with not a care in the world. Now, there were investigative and CSI teams examining the cement structure for any clues. The teams had found nothing yet, and Rossi knew it was not likely. The kidnapper was an organized unsub, he wouldn't leave careless evidence behind.

JJ looked eager to exit the parking lot. She cleared her throat and pulled up the navigation, "We should be there within the hour."

Rossi nodded, trying to focus on the road. He couldn't lose concentration, no matter how personal the case was to him. The only way to ensure his friends' safety was treat the kidnapping objectively, like any other case they received.

Yet, his mind couldn't help but drift off to grim possibilities. What was the unsub doing to them? Had they had anything to eat since they were kidnapped? Were they being tortured? Were they hurt?

The most sinister question popped into his mind.

Were any of them dead…?  
"Stop it," Rossi whispered to himself.

"What is it?" JJ looked over to him.

"Nothing," he shook his head, trying to brush it off, "it's nothing."

"You know it's okay if you're worried about them," JJ said in a soft voice, "we all are."

"I've got to stay focused, I've got to keep a clear mind. For their sake," he wanted to sound strong, but he couldn't even convince himself.

"Rossi, you are one of the strongest people I've ever met. Nobody is going to doubt you or your focus on this case," JJ looked at him with her bright, blue eyes, "we are going to find them, we have to believe that. Just know that it's okay to show some sadness. You can't keep it inside you. We're a team, we support one another."

David looked at her with an admirable expression. JJ was an equally strong woman. She had dealt with so many grieving families with such poise and elegance. She was one of the most critical members of the team. Without her, they'd have fallen apart long ago.

Rossi opened his mouth to say something, but his phone started to ring.

The caller ID read: PENELOPE GARCIA

He put it on speaker phone, "Talk to me, Garcia."

She sounded flustered. The genius tech spoke fast, her tone worried, "Agent Rossi, I-I was looking through the footage one more time and-and I found something, sir."

"What is it, Garcia?" JJ looked curious. She seemed a little pale, Garcia's tone probably worried her.

"Well, I-I was just verifying the timecodes with the security footage we collected…" Garcia looked at her computer with dismay.

"Okay?" Rossi pressed.

"And-and...sir, Prentiss wasn't supposed to be the first kidnapping victim."

"What?" JJ and Rossi both said with outrage.

"I found something in the tape, we must've missed it before," Garcia felt her breathing quicken.

"I-I don't understand," Rossi shook his head, "the unsub kidnapped Prentiss first, what do you mean she wasn't supposed to be the first victim?"

"Who was it supposed to be?" JJ pressed.

"You, JJ..." Garcia said in a small voice, "...the unsub wasn't supposed to kidnap Prentiss, it was going to be you."


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you all for waiting! Here's the next chapter! I'm loving the involvement and support of this story, you all rock! Leave me a fav/follow/review to let me know what you think!**

Prentiss didn't realize she dozed off until she heard a loud _clanging_ sound. She lifted her head from against the cold wall, looking around in confusion. For how long she had been waiting for the next trial, she didn't know. All she was sure about was that it was going to happen when the unsub wanted, not before or after.

She stood up swiftly, wanting to prepare for whatever was coming next. Reid mentioned that the unsub didn't communicate with him over intercom, but did say one thing to him when he entered the cell.

A dark thought crossed Prentiss' mind. The unsub only entered Reid's cell because she, Hotch, and Morgan were able to profile three unsubs in twenty second intervals. If they did not succeed, Reid would've drowned in that glass tank.

This meant that if Reid, Morgan, and Hotch weren't able to complete their task, Prentiss would somehow die in this cell. The unsub would not enter, only to collect a cold corpse.

This thought, however morbid it may be, revealed another aspect of the unsub's profile. Something about his past. She needed to survive so she could inform Hotch, Morgan, and Reid.

The clanging sound stopped. It became eerily quiet.

From a drain in the corner, a clear liquid started to pour through the concrete grate. It was in the far corner of the room. The liquid puddled up and around the grate, slowly spreading across the concrete floor. A white mist rolled off the liquid.

 _That's not water..._

Prentiss took a few steps towards the liquid, wanting to identify it, yet still maintaining a safe distance. It was odorless and colorless. Emily pulled at the fabric on her sleeve hard, ripping the cloth so a small piece of it fit in her palm. She gently approached the liquid and dipped the edge of the fabric in the slow-spreading slush.

The moment the fibers of the cloth made contact with the liquid, a sizzling hiss echoed throughout the cell. The liquid bubbled where the cloth was dipped, and an acrid stench filled her nose. She pulled away and examined the fabric under the dim light. It was singed, burned, gone.

The liquid was acid, just as she feared.

When Prentiss looked closer, she saw the metal grate was starting to erode as the acid kept pouring out on the floor. It covered about a fourth of the floor's surface area so far, leaving her scuttling to the far corner of the room. She needed to keep as much distance as possible before the acid slowly inched closer to her form. There was nothing in the room that offered her assistance of escape, she was on her own. Emily knew that the unsub would broadcast her trial to the others shortly, and she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her scared or weak.

Whatever happened, happened. She would maintain a brave face and fight till the end. Prentiss just hoped her friends were okay…

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"What's this dangerous idea, Hotch?" Morgan looked at their leader, "what does it involve?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Hotch mumbled back, "prying ears," he glanced up at the camera in the corner.

"How long ago would you estimate you both regained consciousness?" Reid cleared his throat and looked at both Morgan and Hotch. He was trying to follow the orders his boss had given him, appear healthy and strong, no matter how tired or weak he felt.

"I'd say near half and hour," Hotch responded, "Prentiss should be awake now too."

"Which means the trial will start soon-" Reid nearly finished the sentence before he erupted in a painful coughing fit. It racked his whole body, making his eyes water and throat sting. He was weak, he hadn't eaten recently, none of them had.

Morgan felt his heart clench with worry. He tried to approach Reid, but Hotch gave him a look. Reid even held up a hand to hold Derek back. Morgan's worry was also a sign of weakness, something they couldn't afford to express if the unsub was watching their every move. So, Morgan watched, helplessly, as Reid sounded like he was coughing out his life source.

"Hotch," Morgan whispered under his breath, "it's barely been ten minutes, he can't go on like this."

"I don't like it anymore than you do," his boss looked at him firmly, "but it's necessary. Besides, it keeps Reid active, conscious, and thinking. He needs this, his body can't shut down again."

Hotch was right, the more the unsub saw the helpless, vulnerable condition Reid was in, he'd feel more confident and in control.

"If Reid appears partially alright, the unsub will feel self-conscious that his torturous trials are not producing the painful effects he intended," Hotch concluded.

"That also bodes the risk of the unsub making his trials even more brutal in the future," Morgan said darkly.

"That's a risk we're going to have to take," Hotch's eyes looked to the floor.

"That's rather unlikely," Reid recovered and piped up in a hoarse voice, "the unsub is organized and calculated, he's planned these trials out. He can't change them now, it's not in his nature."

Morgan let out a small sigh of relief. At least there was a little bit of good news.

It didn't last for long.

" _The third trial has commenced."_

Hotch felt his heart burn with anger upon hearing the hissing voice of the unsub.

Reid exhaled heavily, it almost sounded painful. Morgan tried not to notice, but his stomach turned with worry once again.

" _Dr. Reid,"_ the unsub paused with slight hesitation, " _I see you are quite recovered since your trial."_

Hotch perked up, this was new. The unsub was directly addressing Reid, he wasn't following his scripted dialogue of trials and profiles. This was their chance to get some more personal information from the unsub, to reveal more aspects of the profile. The young doctor knew exactly what to do to captivate his attention.

"Yes, thank you for the concern," Reid stood very still, eyes looking directly at the camera. He looked skeletal, yet determined, "without your mercy, I doubt I would have survived the trial."

" _Mercy_ ," the unsub purred with glee, Morgan could practically see the smile on his lips as he said the word, " _please, continue_."

Reid was ready, he was a genius. He was trying to make the unsub feel more relaxed and comfortable by complimenting him. It made him feel stronger and more in charge.

"I thought I was going to die in that tank," Reid continued, "but you saved me, the trial saved me. It wasn't until this moment that I truly became appreciative of all of your incredible efforts."

" _Yes!"_ the unsub shouted with joy, " _Yes, you see it now! You have begun your rebirth, Dr. Reid, your past sins have yet to be cleansed. Have no fear, you are to be redeemed."_

Hotch made a mental note: rebirth, sins, cleanse, redeemed.

"I anxiously await my redemption," Reid breathed deeply, in control, never breaking eye contact with the camera lens. He stood taller, spoke steadier, "may I ask you a question about the trials?"

Morgan tensed up, waiting for an attack of some kind. He was alert, eyes on the ready. Hotch had a similar reaction. His body was facing the door, observing it carefully. Reid worded his question very carefully, asking for the unsub's permission to ask a question. It still made the unsub feel like he was in control, when it was really Reid who was pulling the strings.

No attack, just a hesitant answer.

" _Y-yes."_

 _Nice, Reid,_ Derek thought to himself.

"The agent that you took from this cell earlier, is she to be cleansed too?"

" _Absolutely."_

Reid felt chills flow through him. He didn't want Prentiss to endure the same torture he did earlier.

"You mentioned that you were trying to cleanse me of my past sins," Reid gulped, "what did you mean by that?"

Hotch and Morgan didn't dare interrupt Reid.

" _You are a pawn, Dr. Reid, a soldier who carries out orders under a dictatorial system. Your team is the very bane of my existence, the cause of my eternal pain. You must be cleansed, you must be taught, you must be reborn."_

Hotch lengthened his mental note: pawn, dictatorial system, eternal pain, taught, reborn.

"I am on the road to redemption, as you said before," Reid exhaled deeply. They couldn't go on like this forever, this needed to end soon. Reid was dead weight, he was only hindering their progress in the profile. There was no way he was going to make it out of here, but the others still had a chance, "so, please, let the others go. Leave me here, but let them live."

"No!" Morgan's eyes widened, "Reid, you can hardly stand!" Derek stormed over to the camera, "Show yourself, you bastard! Let Emily go, and come face me like a real man!"

"Morgan!" Hotch shouted firmly.

It was too late. What generous information the unsub was providing was revoked. The intercom went silent, the unsub was angry.

"Derek, get over here now," Hotch looked around all corners of the room, ready for an attack. Morgan, realizing what his reaction had caused, slowly stepped back towards Hotch and Reid. The cell was quiet, too quiet. The only sounds were the harsh echoes of their labored breathing. They had had no food, no water, no sunlight, and they were deep underground. Their conditions were getting worse by the second, especially Reid.

"I'm sorry," Derek sighed, guilt in his tone, "I-I couldn't let you do that, Reid, I'm sorry."

Nobody was angry, much to Derek's surprise. Reid offered a small, comforting smile and placed a hand on his shoulder. Hotch just dipped his head in respect. They had suffered this far together, nobody was going to let one of their teammates die. No matter what.

Morgan couldn't imagine coming to work every day and not seeing the Boy Genius, with his messy hair, amused smile, and quirky style. He couldn't imagine not seeing the sharp Emily Prentiss by his desk, filling up her coffee every morning, and telling him about her botched date from the night before. Same went for JJ, Rossi, and...Garcia.

 _Oh, baby girl, how I miss you…_

They had to continue, Morgan wasn't going to die in here. He was going to see Penelope again, he was going to get his team out alive. Hotch seemed to possess the same determination. He stood taller, feeling rejuvenated.

"We have some new information to add to the profile," Hotch spoke, but his eyes still darted around the room, waiting for a response from the unsub, "we can expect the unsub to retaliate somehow. He's organized, so he's going to want to plan it out before executing it. Although, that's a good thing for us. By making him shuffle his plans, he'll be careless. We might get the opportunity we're looking for. As for you, Reid, you had him. Well done."

Morgan waited for Reid to respond, but no response came.

"Reid?" Hotch turned around as well.

Derek looked to his left and found Reid crouched against the wall. He was holding his chest and his eyes were screwed tightly shut.

"Hey, Reid!" Morgan was immediately at his side.

"I-I'm fine-" he groaned, trying to stand up again.

"Stay down, Reid," Hotch said firmly, "rest for a minute. You overexerted yourself."

"Good job, man," Derek looked at him proudly, "without you, we'd be ten steps back."

Reid looked up at them both gratefully.

"He's right," Hotch nodded. When Reid first entered his team, he was barely old enough to be an adult, he couldn't operate a gun, and he seemed so naive and innocent. Since then, Reid had experienced so much pain and hardship, yet he never lost his drive or that purity that he always possessed.

"Th-thank you, guys," he was shivering again, but he felt better than before, "I-I-"

The black monitor across the room sparked to life.

All heads turned in that direction, dread suddenly filling the air.

Emily Prentiss flashed on the screen. She was in a cell similar to theirs, standing at the very corner of the room.

"Emily?" Hotch moved closer to the monitor.

"She's okay," Morgan sighed in deep relief.

"What is she doing?" Hotch narrowed his eyes, "it's like she's trying to avoid something…"

Reid squinted at the image, his eyes absorbing the picture. She was pushing herself to the very corner of the room, and occasionally coughing. But from what?

Finally, he saw it, "Guys, look at the floor. There's some form of liquid spreading across the room."

"Water?" Morgan pitched, "that was the tool of his trial for you, Reid, he could be using it again."

"No," Hotch shook his head, "the liquid is barely a foot deep, how is she supposed to be 'challenged' by that? The unsub has to put her in a life-threatening situation to complete the trial so she can be cleansed."

"Which means that's not water…" Derek gulped gravely.

Reid saw the white mist cloud the air, "Acid."

The temperature in the cell seemed to drop ten degrees.

The acid was just a few inches away from Prentiss' shoes.

"Well, what's he waiting for!?" Morgan shouted, "What are the profiles!? You're supposed to give us profiles so we can save her!"

The unsub gave them three cases to profile in twenty seconds to save Reid. That was their challenge, that was their trial.

No response.

"Hey!" Morgan yelled again. A hollow pit wedged itself in his stomach.

Reid felt panic build in his chest, "You don't want to kill her! You want her to be cleansed! Please, don't do this!"

As Reid and Morgan continued to shout to the heavens, Hotch fixated on the monitor. He saw Emily looking around the room, trying to find escape. She coughed from the fumes of the acid. Prentiss tried jumping, clawing at the wall for some sort of handhold.

The acid touched the leather of her shoe. Prentiss immediately recoiled, hopping on one leg until the liquid reached her other shoe. She was looking wildly around the room for some form of escape.

She shouted as a drop of acid bubbled on her skin.

Hotch felt his anger reach its climax. He wasn't going to let this happen again, he saw Reid being tortured and he was helpless to stop it. The unsub wasn't giving them profiles as a punishment for their outburst. The consequence was they were unable to save Emily. The BAU leader had to do something, he had to shock the unsub, he had to do something wildly unexpected so the unsub would stop this, so he would listen.

Reid and Morgan stared helplessly at the screen as Prentiss tried to press herself farther into the wall and away from the stinging acid.

Hotch stood in the center of the cell, looked at the camera in the room, and said in a deep, growling voice that sent shivers down all of their spines.

"Take me instead."

 **Chapter eight coming soon!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Here we go! New chapter! Enjoy! Leave me a fav/follow/review to let me know what you think!**

Rossi slammed the car brakes. The tires screeched to a stop.

"Me!?" JJ gawked. Her mouth dropped.

"Garcia-" Rossi opened his mouth, but closed it again. He didn't know what to say or how to respond.

"Yes, JJ, I'm sorry," Penelope responded in a small voice, "you were supposed to be the first kidnapping victim."

"Yet, he took Prentiss instead...?" JJ felt guilt rise in her chest.

Garcia didn't respond.

Rossi shook himself out of his shock and continued driving. He turned his signal on and reentered the road. This was outrageous, this case just became more frustrating and surprising at every turn. One moment they seemed ahead of the game, and the next they were trying to keep up with the unsub's wayward agenda. It had been nearly twenty four hours since Reid, Morgan, Prentiss, and Hotch were kidnapped, and they still didn't even have a solid profile.

The only lead they had was the call JJ received from an FBI field office a few miles south of their location. They had tire prints that seemed to match the vehicle.

 _They had better be some pretty convincing tire prints,_ Rossi thought angrily. He was tired of being bamboozled at every turn. This was his ground, that was their team's base. They were supposed to be safe there, yet three were kidnapped and three were left.

Enough was enough.

JJ was still wide-eyed in her seat, absorbing the bombshell Garcia just unloaded.

"Garcia, how did you realize that the unsub was supposed to kidnap JJ initially?" Rossi spoke firmly.

"I was searching the security footage again for some more clues, and decided to go back even further to piece together some of the timecodes," she cleared her throat, "I noticed car lights enter the parking lot at 9:30 PM."

"9:30 PM?" JJ narrowed her eyes, "nobody is entering the parking lot at that time, they should be leaving. That completely misaligns our timeline."

"Exactly, and no staff member or agent was seen exiting the building or the lot. The security footage showed no one, it was just an unknown vehicle."

"Wait a minute, that could be any car pulling into the lot," Rossi shook his head, "that's not solid enough evidence to make that conclusion. It could be the pizza delivery guy for all we know."

"That was just my first discovery," Garcia sighed.

"Oh," Rossi hesitated, "continue."

"I knew we couldn't use the car lights as our only evidence, so I kept watching the spot where the car parked in the feed."

"Did you get a plate?" JJ pressed.

"No, unfortunately, the car was parked in the security camera's blindspot..." Garcia responded, "I could only get the edge of the left rear view mirror in the frame."

"Rossi, nobody does that unless they are actively trying to avoid being seen," JJ analyzed.

Rossi didn't respond, he was thinking. Garcia continued.

"I kept my eye on the car to check for any movement. Soon after, JJ exited the building. That's when I saw it," Garcia gulped, "in the edge of the mirror's reflection, I saw a shadowed face of a man in all black wearing a black cap."

"The unsub," Rossi confirmed with a heavy exhale.

JJ pursed her lips.

"He spotted JJ entering the parking lot," Penelope continued quietly, "and I saw the edge of his body exit the driver's seat. He was holding a syringe in his hand. The unsub was about to rush you, JJ, he was angling himself to come at you from the right so you wouldn't hear him, but-"

"-I got a call from Will," the color drained from JJ's face.

Garcia nodded at her desk, "Your cell phone rang. The unsub couldn't take you as a victim with the risk of you talking to someone on the phone and alerting them of your location and the circumstances."

Shocked tears started to fill JJ's eyes. A shaking hand covered her mouth, as she soaked in the news. A phone call was the only factor that separated her position with Prentiss'.

"You entered your car and drove off. The unsub returned to his vehicle, and he looked visibly upset. His mannerisms suggested frustration," Garcia analyzed, "then Rossi and I exited the building, but he didn't make a move. It wasn't until Prentiss entered the parking lot that the unsub reacted again. And we all know what happens after that…"

Rossi and JJ were mute. The muffled sound of the engine filled the uncomfortable silence.

"But he was still there," Rossi's hand clenched on the steering wheel, "he was still watching us from his car?"

"Yes, sir," Garcia nodded solemnly.

"W-wait," JJ sniffed, "he meant to take me, but he took Prentiss instead. But why not Garcia? She was the second female to exit the building, kidnapping her would have sufficed as well, right?"

"I don't think that's all," Rossi narrowed his eyes, "he was looking for a female, yes, but Garcia is not a profiler. Prentiss is, and so are you, JJ. He was trying to find the closest match to mimic you. Emily was the answer."

"How did he know…?" Garcia swallowed slowly, "Has he been watching us…?"

"I assume he must have been," Rossi sighed, "or he performed extensive research on all of us."

"Henry and Will," JJ's eyes widened. If the unsub knew about her, he would about her family. She immediately pulled her phone out and dialed her partner's number. The phone rang twice before she heard Will answer, much to her relief. She affirmed they were alright and safe before she closed the line.

"They're okay?" Rossi asked.

"Fine," she nodded, "I told them to leave town for a few days, or at least until this all blows over."

"Good," Rossi looked back at the road, "Garcia, are you still on the line?"

"Yes, sir."

"Send us the security footage so we can see for ourselves. Good work, we'll be in touch when we arrive."

Rossi cut the call.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Nothing happened for a few seconds.

Hotch stood in the middle of the cell, his grave words still hanging in the air.

Reid and Morgan looked on desperately at their leader who just offered to sacrifice himself. Hotch was debating if the unsub heard him or not.

Suddenly, the monitor went black.

"No!" Morgan gasped. They lost sight of Prentiss, who knew what would happen to her now. _Come on, Emily, you can do it. Stay strong, girl..._

Silence filled the cell, the air thick with fear and anguish.

" _SSA Hotchner, repeat your proposal."_

Hotch's fists clenched, but he stood tall and steady, "Take me instead," he said every word carefully.

A cold, sinister laughter haunted the cell. The unsub's laugh sounded like a snake's hiss. It fueled the rage inside of Hotchner.

" _Well done, Agent Hotchner, very well done. You have exceeded my expectations."_

"I don't care about your expectations," Hotch growled, "let Emily Prentiss go right now."

" _I accept your offer,"_ he could practically see the unsub's Cheshire cat smile, " _Your life for the female's. My losses are not significant, she was not the one I originally intended to cleanse."_

Morgan and Reid exchanged looks.

"Where is she?" Hotch pressed, "Where's Prentiss?"

" _All in good time, SSA Hotchner,_ " the unsub concluded, " _prepare yourself for the next trial."_

That was all. No further remarks, no further responses.

"Hotch..." Reid looked at him with his infamous puppy dog eyes. There were no words to say. Hotch was taking Emily's place, like a hero. He was going to die for the team.

Morgan just looked to the ground, spent. He was tired of this cruel cycle. Tired of saying goodbye to his family.

Hotch steeled himself, wanting to prepare his team for his departure. He was fully committed to what he was about to do, he was ready to accept the challenges he would face for the good of the team, "Come on, we don't have much time."

Reid and Morgan didn't move.

"Derek?" Hotch narrowed his eyes, "Reid?"

They remained still.

Hotch exhaled deeply. They were shocked and sad, their friend and leader was sacrificing his life for them. This was the last they'd see of him.

"I know this is difficult-" he began.

Derek scoffed.

"-but the unsub will return in a few minutes with Prentiss and he will take me. He revealed crucial facts about himself that we can add to the profile. We need to get to work as quickly as we can, for all of our sakes."

"R-right," Reid nodded, clearing his throat to avoid from choking up. He couldn't think about Hotch right now, about how he'd never see him again…

 _Get a grip, Spencer, the team needs you._

"Reid, when he was speaking with you, he talked about cleanse and water."

"In many religions and cultures, water symbolizes rebirth and new beginnings. Think of Noah's Ark and the Flood. That's probably why he's using forms of liquid in his trials. Water and acid, both liquid compounds."

"But what is he trying to cleanse?" Derek contributed, "he mentioned rebirth and redemption. Could they have religious affiliations?"

"I think that's a fair argument," Hotch nodded, "he mentioned the word 'sins' as well. He could think himself as some archangel, someone trying to rectify the wrongs of one's past in the name of God."

"But he hasn't mentioned his motives are for God," Reid shook his head, "most archangels like to boast that, he hasn't even mentioned God once."

"So we can rule out religious association?" Derek raised a brow.

"Let's keep it on the backburner for now," Hotch paced, "what else?"

"He said I was a pawn under a dictatorial system," Reid recalled, "by dictatorial system, I assume he means the federal government."

"The FBI is an organization of the federal government," Morgan clenched his jaw, "he might even be refering specifically to the BAU itself."

"He said our team was the very bane of his existence," Hotch felt the gears turning, "that we were the cause of his eternal pain."

"Oh my God," Reid whispered, "we know him."

" _Yes…..indeed…."_

Hotch, Morgan, and Reid were startled by the unsub's voice over the intercom. Reid tried to stand but fell back to the floor, holding his chest and shivering.

Morgan stood over him protectively, Hotch barricaded himself by the door.

"Reid, are you sure!?" Morgan's eyes looked around the room frantically.

"That's the only logical explanation for all of this!" he felt his heart rate quicken, "I-ah!"

The young doctor buckled over in pain. He had tried for too long to ignore the pain and weakness in his body, to follow Hotch's orders and stay strong, but he held out to the last straw. He couldn't manage it anymore. White dots started to swim in his field of vision, he felt gravity sway beneath him as he hit the floor.

"Hotch!"

Both men ran over, grabbing Reid by the arms and laying him up against the wall. Reid was on the verge of hyperventilation. Morgan reached down to grab his hands and saw them shaking and as white as the moon. His fingers were a deep blue purple hue.

"Breath, Reid, breath," Hotch nodded, comforting the young doctor. Reid nodded. Hotch knew he hated this, hated being incapacitated because he couldn't help the team.

 _Hissssssssssss._

"No, no, no!" Morgan knew that sound, the sound of the knockout gas filling their cell.

Hotch closed his eyes for a moment. He sat back, utilizing his last few moments of consciousness.

Derek was still panicking and fighting. He was breathing heavy, looking around the room trying to find a way to escape. His hand rested on Reid's shoulder protectively. The young doctor was coughing violently, his whole body shaking under the force.

"Morgan," Hotch spoke softly, "Derek."

Morgan looked at his boss with wide, worried eyes. It seemed as if they exchanged a thousands words with that one look. Derek relaxed and sat down across from Hotch and Reid. He looked to the floor gritting his teeth.

The white gas filled the cell.

"I hate this," Derek finally broke the silence. It sounded like he was trying not to choke up.

Reid, unable to speak, nodded his head.

"I know," Hotch nodded, "I do too."

Reid looked away, trying to hide his expression. Once the gas filled the room and they fell unconscious, they'd never see Hotch again.

"Before I go," Hotch cleared his throat, "I want to say what a pleasure it has been to work with you both."

"Hotch…" Morgan argued weakly.

Hotch held up a hand as he continued, "and the rest of the team. No division will ever compare to the family I created here these last few years. I am so honored and grateful to have served by your sides."

Reid coughed again. His eyelids were beginning to feel heavy as the gas began to reach them.

Morgan clenched his fists in sadness, anger, and despair, but he too felt his muscles start to relax unwillingly.

Hotch shook his head, trying to fight the gas, "Prentiss will be here when you wake up, make sure she's okay."

Hotch looked at Morgan. He meant something a little different.

 _Make sure Prentiss doesn't blame herself for my decision._

Derek nodded firmly.

Hotch felt himself fall to his elbows. Reid slowly began to slouch forward.

"C-complete the profile," Hotch grunted, "keep analyzing, keep looking for clues. Reid, stay strong, okay? Keep fighting. You all will escape, promise me that, you will find a way out of here."

Reid and Morgan both nodded.

"Bye, Hotch," Derek said in a hoarse voice.

Reid reached forward, and shook Hotch's hand firmly.

Their last goodbyes.

The white gas enveloped them completely now. Reid pitched forward, unconscious before he hit the floor. Morgan fell to his side, falling victim to the gas.

Hotch lay against the wall, across from the door. He couldn't move, but he was determined to stay conscious until the unsub entered the cell.

Soon enough, the door unlatched. A figure waded through the doorway, into the white gas. He was wearing his gas mask, the yellow eyes piercing the dim cell.

The unsub was dragging somebody behind him. Emily Prentiss. She was unconscious, and he deposited her next to Reid and Morgan.

 _Goodbye, Emily._

The unsub's yellow eyes fixated on Hotch. He took sluggish steps forward, relishing in this moment.

The last thing Hotch remembered were hands gripping his ankle and pulling him towards the mouth of the doorway to his eventual doom.

 **Chapter 9 coming soon!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Here's the next installment! Enjoy! Leave me a fav/follow/review to let me know what you think!**

"We're here," JJ spoke in the quiet car. Rossi parked in front of the Lorton field office where JJ received the call earlier.

They were still recovering from the bombshell of news Garcia told them earlier, recovering from the unsub's attack on the BAU team.

"Let's go," Rossi sighed heavily before exiting the vehicle. He and JJ approached the front entrance and stepped inside. Rossi admired the sunset before he entered the building.

JJ was already talking to a receptionist at the front desk. She directed them behind the counter towards their Chief Field Agent's office.

A middle-aged man with greying hair stood up to greet them. He stuck his hand out, "Hi, I'm Agent Monroe. I run the Lorton office."

"Hi," despite everything they had just learned, JJ still managed to assume her usual personality, "Agent Jareau from the BAU, this is my associate, Agent Rossi. We spoke on the phone earlier."

"Ah, yes," Agent Monroe recalled, "about the tire prints."

"Correct."

"Just a minute," Agent Monroe walked towards the doorway and called to his receptionist, "Excuse me, Sally? Can you have Greg bring up the evidence I mentioned to him earlier? Keep it quiet."

"Certainly, sir."

Agent Monroe turned back to the two BAU agents, "Should be here shortly."

"Thank you," Rossi dipped his head.

"So, what's this all about?" Monroe raised a brow, "Agent Jareau, you called me in quite a hurry."

"It's a very personal case to the BAU," JJ replied calmly. They couldn't risk divulging information, "one that needs to be solved quickly."

"Right," Monroe nodded in understanding, as a young man walked into the room with a yellow envelope, "here we are."

JJ accepted the envelope from the young man who walked out of the office soon after. Rossi watched over her shoulder as she pried the envelope open.

"I'll get Garcia on the line," Rossi said as he whipped out his cellphone.

JJ nodded as she observed the photograph.

Within seconds, Garcia answered.

"Garcia, we've got the images. I'll send them over to you now."

"Ready, sir."

Garcia waited until the images popped up on her screen. She typed in a few commands and started to run a program that compared the tires prints to that of the unsub's suspected vehicle.

"I'll get results in a few minutes," she informed Rossi and JJ who nodded curtly.

Monroe was watching them with careful eyes, "Are you guys always this stiff? You both look as if someone died."

JJ and Rossi looked to the floor.

"Is that what happened…?" Monroe suddenly felt guilt rush through him.

"As Agent Jareau mentioned earlier," Rossi's tone suggested finality, "it's a very personal case to the BAU."

"Right," Monroe mumbled.

"Got it!" Penelope piped up, "They match! The tire prints belong to the model of the unsub's vehicle."

"Excellent," JJ felt some relief flow through her, "we have a direction."

"Great work, Garcia," Rossi nodded, "Now do a search, slowly filter down individuals who own the same model of the car within a 40 mile radius. Let us know what you find."

"Of course," Garcia replied before she cut the call.

JJ was smiling for the first time in a long time. This was great news, they had a lead on where the unsub might be. Slowly but surely, they were gaining ground. They'd find the rest of the team.

"Anything else I can do for you?" Monroe asked kindly.

"Yes, actually," Rossi took him up on the offer, "do you have a map of the region?"

"I should, be back in a moment."

Monroe exited, gone to follow through with Rossi's request.

"Okay, so we got prints leading in this direction," JJ began to theorize, "no plates, but we know the model of the car. How can we figure out where he might take them?"

"Let's think of the profile," Rossi slowly circled the office, "he's an organized unsub, that means he doesn't want any interruptions or distractions. Somewhere quiet, not a lot of neighbors, away from civilian life."

"A farm, maybe?" JJ offered, "lots of acres of land, little interruption from the city. It could work."

"Yeah, but a farm isn't secure," Rossi shook his head, "there are environmental factors that could disrupt his process, and it has too many exit points. Usually, the building is made of wood, it's falling apart, and it's old and rusted. Four seasoned, trained FBI agents could easily escape."

"Right," JJ sighed, "okay, well he also lacks confidence. He wants to make sure he seems more intimidating by making the victims scared."

"Good," Rossi continued, "the setting is just as important as the delivery. Find a good setting, your victim becomes scared and compliant. Darkness, confined spaces, no food or water - a few ways an unsub can frighten their victims through the environment."

JJ felt the gears turning in her mind, "but he also wants it quiet and away from distraction and people. How about someplace abandoned? Like an old warehouse or building."

"That just might work," Rossi smiled.

Right on cue, Agent Monroe entered the office with a large map of the surrounding area. He set it flat on the desk for JJ and Rossi to examine.

JJ grabbed a red pen and began to annotate, "Okay, so we're here," she drew a circle around the Lorton field office, "Agent Monroe, where exactly did you find the tire prints?"

"Right off Richmond Highway," Monroe answered, "near Pohick."

JJ traced it with the pen. Rossi got Garcia on the line.

"Garcia."

"Here, sir."

"They found the tire prints off Richmond Highway, near Pohick," Rossi filled her in, "can you check the cameras and see what you find?"

"One minute," she kept them on hold as she searched the traffic cameras at lightning speed. Garcia's eyes scanned the footage, "Okay, okay, I see a white van - yeah, it's the model we're looking for. 11:48 PM."

"Is the plate still unclear?" Rossi asked.

"Yes," she responded, "it's the lining he's attached the license plate. It's glaring against the street lights."

"Well, we're on the right track," Rossi sighed, "Garcia, we think the unsub is keeping them somewhere secluded and away from civilian life. Can you scan the area for any abandoned warehouses or buildings?"

"Of course, sir."

"Great, let me know what you find."

Rossi hung up the phone.

"Agents," Monroe piped up, "look, I get the case is classified, but I'd like to assist in any way I can. I know the area well, I can help."

Rossi looked at JJ who nodded. She began to recount the case, "four agents were kidnapped at our headquarters nearly 24 hours ago. So far, we know the unsub is driving a white 2009 Chevrolet Express Cargo, and he drove through the Lorton area. Our profile suggests that the unsub is a male, he lacks confidence, he is self-conscious, and smaller in stature based on his methods of attack. We believe the unsub is keeping the four agents in an abandoned building or warehouse to avoid contact with people and to boost his own confidence by making him in control."

"You got all of that in just 24 hours?" Monroe sounded impressed, "What division were you guys from again?"

Rossi's phone rang. He answered Garcia's call immediately.

"What have you got, Garcia?"

"I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that I found three locations for abandoned warehouses. The bad news is they are all near or next to suburbs, high rise buildings, towncenters, shopping malls, or police stations. None of the locations are secluded or away from local towns."

"Well, that doesn't mean we can rule them out, right?" Monroe asked.

"Yes, it does," JJ sighed, "the unsub is classified as organized, that means he follows a process or pattern and rarely strays from it. He's not sloppy or careless, and he won't leave evidence behind."

"Exactly," Rossi continued, "the unsub doesn't interact well with others on a social level. Because of his lack of confidence and discomfort, he will want to be secluded and away from possible distractions to not interrupt the process. Because he's organized, he will ensure he'll carry out this process accordingly."

"I see," Monroe nodded, "so nowhere near the city. Well, you're not going to find many abandoned buildings in the outskirts, it's small towns and rural areas from here."

"Garcia, anything?" JJ asked.

"Nope, not seeing anything," she murmured, "I'm sorry, guys."

"Back to square one," Rossi growled, "we're running out of time, we need to get them back."

"Hold on, now," Monroe held up a hand, "I'm sure we can work through this," the Lorton agent referenced the map, "so your suspect likes secluded areas?"

"Yes," JJ nodded, "we've ruled out farms, abandoned buildings were our best bet."

"Well," Monroe breathed, "can it be something other than buildings that are abandoned?"

Rossi perked a brow.

"Any suggestions?"

"There was an old train line that was going to run through here," Monroe traced the map with his finger, "an extension of the Lorton Station here in town."

"Garcia, can you look into that?" JJ asked, hope seeping back into her voice.

Penelope typed in the information quickly, "Yes, I see it! It was nearly ready for operation but the project was cancelled in 1983 due to lack of funding. It was going to be for maintenance purposes, lots of underground operation."

"Is it near the town? A police station? Residential areas?"

"No," Garcia smiled, "it's at least five miles away from the nearest building."

"Both isolated and abandoned," JJ's eyes shone, "I think we found out where they are."

Rossi tried to hide the smirk on his lips. He felt excited, they had a solid lead. He held his hand out to Agent Monroe who shook it.

"Thank you," Rossi said genuinely, "we couldn't have done this without you."

"Glad I could be of service," Monroe dipped his head, "let me dispatch a team. They'll escort you to the location and be there as extra hands."

"Thank you," JJ walked towards the doorway, "I'm going to contact the sheriff's department and get some medical teams on the way."

"We need to move," Rossi headed for the doorway, "Thank you again, Agent Monroe."

"Pleasure's all mine."

JJ and Rossi swiftly walked out of the office, towards the cars.

 _We're coming,_ Rossi thought to himself, _hang in there, guys, we're coming._

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Prentiss slowly come to. She felt a sharp pain on her legs and hands, it was a superficial wound.

 _The acid,_ she recalled darkly.

Emily groaned as she willed herself to sit upright. Her eyes slowly opened again. She tried to grab the wall to stand, but a feeling of nausea and dizziness swept through her. Prentiss rested against the wall again, knowing that she needed to rest for a moment to stop from falling over and passing out again.

Their capture was taking a toll on her body. They hadn't had anything to eat or drink, they were constantly being drugged and gassed, they were put in stressful scenarios when they were awake, and they were forced to endure these brutal trials. It was like a game of cat and mouse with the unsub, one she wasn't used to. Prentiss and the BAU were always used to being the cat, used to catching the bad guys. They hadn't had much experience being on the flip side of it.

Prentiss steadied her breathing and looked down at her hands. The palms of her hands were seared and burned. Drops of acid had reached the skin, now it was red, inflammed, and smeared with dried blood. She carefully pulled up her pant leg, biting her lip to keep from crying out.

Her leather shoes had seared holes in them, where the acid once again touched. Her ankles, however, were red and burned. The acid had reached her legs and she must've splashed some of the liquid around in her efforts to escape it, therefore allowing it to burn her skin.

 _Nothing fatal, Emily,_ she calmed herself, _you did it, you did it._

She tried to push her injuries to the back of her mind, as she looked up at the rest of the cell. One thing was blatantly obvious.

Hotch was missing.

Dread filled her body, and her heart skipped a beat. Prentiss felt her mouth go dry and her face go pale. The unsub took Hotch, their leader, their trusted friend. This felt different, this felt like all their hope was lost.

Even in the most desperate of times, Hotch was always their rock. He was sharp, clear, stable, and logical despite the situation. He was the person they went to in the direst of times, the person they listened to. The voice of reason.

Stripping them of their leader made Prentiss feel like the BAU just wasn't the BAU anymore. Hotch was the center of that team, but now he was gone.

Prentiss knew they needed to do something. She glanced at her two unconscious teammates. Morgan was sprawled on the floor, near Reid. He looked haggard and tired, like he aged ten years. Derek was the strongest of them. He was there as a support system for everyone, the one who would sacrifice himself in an instant for another. He seemed relatively unharmed, which she was extremely grateful for.

Reid, on the other hand, was unlucky. Prentiss hadn't seen him in a few hours. She didn't think that he could look worse before, but now he looked like he was...dead. Emily felt her heartrate quicken. Reid was ashen gray, no longer pale as a ghost. The dark purple rings under his eyes were the only color on his face. His lips were dry and chapped, and his jawline stuck out unhealthily.

He was curled up in a ball, his body suboconsciously trying to conserve body heat. The chronic chill of the cell had weakened his immune system after he finished his trial, that meant the lack of rest, food, water, and nutrients was hitting him harder than anyone else. Hotch's jacket was wrinkled. When she reached out to touch it, she felt the fabric was still damp. Being underground meant there was little oxygen for the water to evaporate or dry. The moisture hung in there, keeping Reid's clothes and Hotch's jacket wet.

Prentiss crawled over to Morgan, wincing everytime her ankles scuffed the ground, or when he palms had to press down againt the cement. She tore some more fabric off of her shirt and wrapped her palms for little protection. Emily reached out with strained fingers and shook Morgan's arm.

"Derek," she said hoarsely, "Derek, wake up."

He slowly stirred, blinking a few times before slowly rising. He winced, his body stiff and tired.

"Emily?" his eyes settled clearly on her. Relief flowed through him and he leaned forward, wrapping her in a comforting embrace.

She gladly accepted, hugging back. She didn't know if she'd see them again. Those last few moments in the trial, Emily really thought she would be killed by the acid. Morgan pulled back and examined her wrapped palms.

His eyebrows furrowed, and an angry expression crossed his face.

"Are you okay?" he asked in a low voice.

"I'm fine, it doesn't hurt that much," she lied. Her injuries weren't of primary concern at the moment. Derek would worry about her, when really they all needed to focus on getting Hotch back and escaping.

Morgan perked up and looked over his shoulder, "Reid?!"

"Still alive…." the young doctor mumbled. His eyes were still closed and he remained unmoving.

Morgan focused on Reid, and the same shocked expression seemed to cross his face as the one Emily wore the moment she saw Reid too.

"Hey, man, you alright?"

"Peachy," Reid groaned as Derek helped him sit upright. Spencer saw Prentiss sitting before him and a big smile spread across his lips, "Emily!" he laughed in relief, "You're okay!"

"Yeah," she grinned, "yeah, I am. You look a little worse for wear though, Reid, are you sure you're alright?"

"Hey, enough about me," Reid tried to counter Prentiss' and Morgan's worrying with a little lightearted talk, "I'll be fine."

The cell grew silent, the obvious void of Hotch growing. All of their moods shifted to one of despair. Their leader was missing.

"We need to save Hotch," Prentiss looked to the floor, "no matter what."

"Emily," Derek look up at her with clouded eyes, "I don't think we can."

"What? Why?"

"The unsub contacted us," Reid explained, "and the conversation went sour. As punishment he was going to let you die in your trial, Emily, but-but Hotch offered to take your place."

Prentiss' mouth dropped. She felt like she was just hit my a freight train, "Y-you mean, he sacrified himself….? For me….?"  
Derek nodded solemnly.

Emily felt tears start to build in her eyes. She bit her lip and looked away, not wanting to show her emotions. The unsub was still watching, and he was probably loving it.

"No, no," she whispered to herself, "I'm sorry, Hotch, this is all my fault…"

"Hey," Morgan said firmly, "don't do that to yourself, Emily, do not do that to yourself. This was Hotch's decision and his decision alone."

"He's right," Reid cleared his throat, "I know it's hard to think right now, but Hotch made up his mind and there was no changing it. He couldn't just stand there and watch you die."

Prentiss looked to the floor, a tear rolling down her cheek. The droplet hit the cement floor.

Morgan reached out and patted her shoulder comfortingly.

"So-so now what?" she sniffed, "Is he going to be stuck in the same cell? Do we have to watch _him_ die now?"

"I don't know," Derek's gaze darkened, "but we're not just going to sit around, I'll tell you that."

"I agree,' Reid's jaw hardened, "we save Hotch, we're getting out of here. We promised him, Morgan. Before the gas, we promised him we'd escape, but I'm not leaving wihtout Hotch."

"Me neither," Emily straightened.

"I agree," Derek nodded.

"But, Reid, you can hardly stand," Emily protested, "we can't fight our way out if that's what you're thinking."

"No, we can't," he nodded, "but I've got an idea."

"What?"

"You're not going to like it," Reid looked at Morgan, "but it has to be done."

"Reid, I don't like where this is going," Derek sighed.

"Then you're _really_ not going to like this bit," he coughed and cleared his throat, "the unsub likes it when we're at our most vulnerable, right?"

"Yeah," Emily narrowed her eyes, "and?"

"I currently fit the category of 'weak and helpless'," Reid explained, "so, I'll be the perfect target."

"Target for what?" Derek pressed.

"Target for the unsub," the young doctor leaned against the wall, "I have a plan, but it requires one thing before it can be executed."

"What?" Emily asked.

Reid exhaled deeply, "First, I have to die."

 **Chapter 10 coming soon!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Here's the next chapter! Thank you all for being so patient and supportive! Hope you all enjoy (Reid is a badass in this chapter). Leave me a fav/follow/review and let me know what you think!**

"Agent Rossi!" Agent Monroe jogged to the seasoned FBI agent who was loading his black SUV. Agent Jareau was on the phone a few feet away, contacting emergency medical teams.

"Agent Monroe?"

"I dispatched a team to accompany you and Agent Jareau to your location," he explained, "they'll be there to do whatever you need them to. Don't hesitate."

"Got it," Rossi shook his hand firmly, "thank you again, Agent Monroe."

The native Lorton agent watched as the two BAU members entered their SUV and began to pull away from the parking lot. Monroe watched from the doorstep as the dispatched team followed them down the road.

 _I hope you find your agents,_ Monroe thought as the cars disapppeared, _I really hope you do._

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Are you sure about this?" Morgan whispered next to Reid's ear.

Reid nodded very subtly, not wanting to compromise their ruse.

Emily stood over them, eyes flicking over to the camera, "It's all we've got, Morgan, we need to try."

"Fine," Derek exhaled, clearly upset, "let's just get this over with." He closed his eyes for a moment, said a silent prayer, and jumped to his feet, "Help!" Morgan waved his arms in front of the camera, "He's got no pulse! Please, help!" Derek gestured to an "unconscious" Reid.

Emily began to play her part. She began to perform chest compressions of Reid, wanting to amplify their effectiveness of their facade. In actuality, Reid was breathing. It was labored, sure, but he was breathing.

When Reid, told them he had to "die", he meant it, but not the way Prentiss and Morgan initially thought…

" _No way," Morgan said vehemently, "absolutely not."_

" _No, just hear me out-" Reid began._

" _Reid, you are not doing this, that's final."_

" _And I don't intend to. Well...actually, I do, but it's only temporary."_

" _Temporary?" Emily gxcawked, "Reid, you can't just temporarily be dead, it's pretty final."_

" _Not if you know what you're doing," Reid had a mishcevious glint in his eyes._

" _And you do?" Morgan raised a brow._

" _Of course he does," Emily smirked._

" _First," Reid tried to whisper, "I'm going to need your guys' socks."_

" _Our what?" Morgan scoffed._

" _You heard him," Prentiss shrugged when Morgan looked at her sideways, "What? He's got two PhD's. Don't question it and give him your socks."_

 _With shaking fingers, Reid folded and tucked the socks until they formed a tight, little ball._

" _Good job, kid," Derek raised a sarcastic brow, "now what?"_

" _Follow my lead," Reid made eye contact with Prentiss for a second. She nodded once, trusting him and his process wholeheartedly._

 _Reid suddenly pitched forward. Caught by surprise, Emily scrambled to catch him. She lay him gently on his back on the cement floor. His eyes were closed, he looked properly unconscious...or dead._

" _Reid?" she whispered, "Reid!?"_

 _Derek, still in shock of the sudden turn of events, was trying to decide if Reid's reaction was real or fake. After a moment, Reid nodded subtly, an indication that this was part of his plan._

" _Prentiss," he spoke so softly she had to lean in to hear his voice, "get to my right to block the camera's view. Place this under my arm."_

 _She felt the sock ball in her fingertips. Reid placed it in her palm._

 _Emily did as she was told. She crouched by Reid's right side, blocking the camera's view just as he mentioned, and slowly tucked the sock ball under his arm._

 _To the unsub, who was probably watching them from the camera feed, Reid had passed out from his weakened condition and Emily and Morgan were hovering over him to see if he was alright._

" _Reid, this is a stupid plan!" Derek whisper-yelled, "And I don't even know what it is yet!"_

" _Just go with it," Emily said through clenched teeth, "we need to make this seem believable. You've got to act the part."_

" _Me?!" Morgan scoffed._

 _Reid didn't make a move, but Emily answered for him, "Yes, now go!"_

" _Are you sure about this?" Morgan whispered next to Reid's ear._

 _Reid nodded very subtly, not wanting to compromise their ruse._

 _Emily stood over them, eyes flicking over to the camera, "It's all we've got, Morgan, we need to try."_

" _Fine," Derek exhaled, clearly upset, "let's just get this over with." He closed his eyes for a moment, said a silent prayer, and jumped to his feet, "Help!" Morgan waved his arms in front of the camera, "He's got no pulse! Please, help!" Derek gestured to an "unconscious" Reid._

There was no response from the unsub, he wasn't buying into it enough.

Prentiss steeled herself and stood up as well, "Please, help us! Our friend is dying! Without your help, he has no chance! Only you can save him!"

She was trying to make him feel bigger, more powerful, more in control.

Morgan's turn, "He's all we have left! You were too smart for us, too clever! You already took Hotch, so please spare us Reid!"

Prentiss went back over by Reid, wanting to emphasize the condition of his listless form as much as possible for the unsub to react. She rolled up his sleeve and placed two fingers on his wrist, taking his pulse for the extra show.

The results she got actually shocked her. Reid had no pulse.

"Reid?" Emily felt a cold feeling wash through her. She shook his shoulder.

He didn't respond.

"Stop playing, Reid," she felt panic rise in her chest, "Reid!"

She felt his wrist again. Still no pulse.

"Derek!" she called, frantic.

Morgan sensed the worry in her tone and turned around gravely.

"He-he has no pulse," she stammered, "no, I mean he actually h-has no pulse…"

Derek rushed to her side. If the unsub wanted a convincing show then this was it.

"Hey, Reid, wake up, man! Come on!" Derek shouted.

Emily felt tears stream down her cheek as Morgan tried to feel for a pulse that wasn't there.

 _Hisssssssss_.

A white gas started to fill the room. Emily covered her nose with the cloth of her shirt, but she didn't feel sleepy. It wasn't tranquilizing gas, it was fog. Last time the unsub used fog was to drop Reid back off into their cell, when she, Hotch, and Morgan just finished their trial.

The fog could only mean one thing.

"Morgan," she touched his arm. He stopped for a moment, not even noticing the sudden fog, "the unsub is going to come inside the cell."

Derek's eyes widened as the fog started to fill the small room more and more. The air became thick with it, until she lost sight of Reid and Morgan who were right next to her.

"Prentiss…?"

"Here," she answered Morgan in a small voice.

No response from Reid.

" _Step away from Dr. Reid,"_ the unsub's voice sounded over the intercom.

Emily felt chills run through her body, but neither of them moved.

" _Step away from Dr. Reid or I will leave him to die."_

Derek ground his teeth but he was forced to step away. Emily slowly shuffled away from Reid as well.

" _Backs against the wall."_

Emily and Derek did as they were told, begrudgingly.

If Morgan knew Reid was okay, if they proceeded with the original plan, Derek would have tackled the unsub to the ground. Yet, Prentiss just told him Reid's pulse stopped, for real. He couldn't make a move if the unsub meant Reid's only chance for survival.

Just their luck.

The unsub, feeling more confident than ever, strode into the cell. He knealt down by Reid and pulled a knife from his pocket. Emily and Derek held their breaths as the unsub placed the edge of the blade against Reid's throat.

" _If either one of you make a move, I will kill Dr. Reid."_

Morgan and Prentiss didn't dare move a muscle. Still looking at them and with the knife pressed against Reid's throat, the unsub reached with his free hand and gripped Reid's wrist. He placed two fingers against the skin and pressed, feeling for a pulse. After seconds of intense silence, the unsub pulled away.

Indeed, Dr. Reid had no pulse.

Morgan could barely see through the fog. The yellow eyes of the gas mask were the only entity in the white mist. The unsub smiled to himself as he gripped Dr. Reid by the ankles and slowly began to drag him out of the cell. The other agents remained with their backs against the wall, weighing the choice of charging the unsub and attacking, or saving their friend. The unsub retreated out of the cell with Dr. Reid and bolted the door once again.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Hotch slowly awoke to find himself handcuffed in a chair. He pulled at the cuffs, testing their integrity. They were locked on tightly, the metal dug into his skin painfully.

The BAU leader looked at his surroundings, he was trapped in a cell identical to the one he was trapped in earlier with Morgan, Prentiss, and Reid.

Only this time there was no Morgan, Prentiss, and Reid.

He was alone, except for the chair and the cuffs. The unsub took him as payment for Prentiss' life, a decision he never regret. Emily was okay, he saw the unsub drag her into the cell before he fell unconscious from the tranquilizing gas.

Hotch knew the unsub would contact him soon enough. It was just a matter of time-

The door across from him burst open. Hotch narrowed his eyes, this was different from the usual encounters. Based on the experiences of both Reid and Prentiss, the unsub didn't contact them when he began their trials, and he never entered the cell except to collect them when the trial finished.

This was not part of the unsub's normal routine. Hotch pulled against the handcuffs, but remained restrained. The unsub entered the room, still clad in his gas mask. He was dragging someone inside.

Something was wrong, something was definitely wrong.

Hotch pulled harder against his restraints, panic rising in his chest.

The unsub entered the light, and he was dragging with him one Dr. Spencer Reid.

"Reid…?" Hotch said carefully.

There was no answer from his young teammate. The unsub unceremoniously dragged Reid inside the rest of the way and dropped him in the center of the cell. He looked at Hotch with his yellow eyes devilishily.

"What do you want?"

No answer, just the yellow-eyed glare.

Hotch's eyes traveled down to the young doctor, "Reid?"

No answer again.

"If you're going to kill me, why don't you just do it already?" Hotch growled.

Nothing.

"Answer me!"

The unsub looked as if he was grinning behind the mask. Hotch composed himself. This was exactly what he wanted, but it was hard not to snap. They had been trapped in this cell, they faced brutal trials from a mysterious unsub, and they had been hurt and cheated. He was starting lose his composure and his patience.

" _SSA Hotchner_ ," the unsub began, standing still as a statue as her stared down Hotch, " _what a predicament you find yourself in."_

"No thanks to you," he said with a flash of his dark eyes. He glanced down at Reid, "what's happened to him?"

" _According to your other teammates, he has no pulse."_

"What?!" Hotch tugged against his restraints even harder. He felt the metal draw blood, "Let me go! I can help him!"

The unsub didn't move.

"Fine!" Hotch said, enraged, "if not me, then you! Before it's too late!"

The unsub didn't move.

Hotch bit his tongue, "Please!"

The unsub did one thing, and it wasn't helping the unconscious Reid. He turned around and walked out the cell door.

"Where are you going?!" Hotch called, "He needs help!"

" _I had something very different planned for you, Agent Hotchner_ ," the unsub said with maniacal glee, " _but this will suffice nicely_. _I'll be back shortly to collect the body. Until then, enjoy."_

He shut the door with a heavy bang.

It was doubtful the unsub would return. Hotch's weakness was plain and clear: he cared too much for his team. Forcing Hotch to watch one of his teammates die was the ultimate torture.

"Reid?" Hotch looked down at the fallen doctor, "Reid!?"

Reid's eyes fluttered open.

"Is he gone?"

"W-what…?" Hotch felt like his world was crumbling around him, "Reid, are you alright? The unsub...he said you had no pulse. I didn't know if..."

Reid struggled to sit upright and winced, but he was smirking, "Some good acting can get you a long way. Now, let's get out of here."

Hotch's mouth was open in awe as the young doctor pulled a wad of balled up socks from under his arm.

"What's that for?"

"There are distal veins and arteries that run up and down the arm. By placing a small, round object and squeezing down, I can stop temporarily stem the blood flow and pulse from the arm. A little bit of timed breathing and my already gaunt appearance really sold it."

Hotch shook his head in amazement.

He shakily got to his feet, shaking off his dizziness. The young doctor went behind Hotch and examined the handcuffs.

"Standard handcuffs," Reid sighed, "but no key. I'll start looking around for-"

"No time," Hotch bit his lip and exhaled sharply as he dislocated his thumb from it's normal position. The thumb joint ripped from his pulling force and a low series of cracks echoed through the cell.

Reid blinked, shocked, and turned pale.

Hotch slid his hand out of the handcuffs, gripping his injured thumb as he stood up.

"Ready?" he looked to Reid.

The young doctor jolted back to reality, looking at Hotch up and down in surprise.

"O-okay," Reid nodded, gulping.

"Where are Morgan and Prentiss?" Hotch asked as he started to scan the perimeter of the cell.

"Back in the other cell. They're fine for now."

"We have to move quick," Hotch looked up at the camera, "I don't know when or if he's watching, but he said he'd be coming back."

"The unsub has to be controlling these cells through a mainframe in a control room. He monitors the cameras, speaks through intercom, controls the water valves, and can manipulate the oxygen levels in the room to become gaseous. This is an advanced set up."

"So we can suspect that he has a job in a tech related field, or he has thorough knowledge of it."

Reid nodded, "If we can find the control room, I can get my hands on the mainframe and get us out of here."

Hotch agreed, "Then that's the plan. We need to-"

Reid and Hotch perked up as the bolt on the cell door began to slide.

They looked at one another, knowing the unsub was going to enter the cell at any moment. Hotch scrambled back into the chair, placing his hands behind his back, pretending they were cuffed. Reid sprawled on the floor again and closed his eyes, in the same position the unsub left him seconds before.

As the door opened, Hotch whispered to Reid, "Be ready."

The unsub appeared in the doorway again. He eyed Hotch and the "unconscious" Reid for a moment before fully entering the cell.

" _Did you say your goodbyes to young Dr. Reid, Agent Hotchner?"_

Hotch didn't respond, he just stared down the unsub with hatred.

The unsub chuckled and moved towards Hotch, feeling confident, " _Dr. Reid was an intelligent mind, there won't be another like him."_

"I agree," he said through gritted teeth, wringing his hands in anticipation. He had to wait for the right moment.

" _And now for the rest of your incompetent teammates,"_ the unsub inched closer, " _I will pick them off one by one, Agent Hotchner, and I will make you watch as the last breath leaves their bodies, just like Dr. Reid here. After all, I'm only returning the favor."_

That did it. Enraged, Hotch lunged forward and tackled the unsub to the ground. Reid jumped awake, dodging the two crashing men by quickly rolling to the left. Hotch and the unsub hit the cement floor hard. Thankfully, the unsub cushioned the fall for Hotch. He heard a gasp of air from the man in the gas mask. Hotch sat on top of him, pinning him down with his strong form.

The unsub, however, was quick. He pulled a small knife from his belt and rammed the blade into Hotch's right shoulder. The BAU leader shouted in pain, staggering away. The unsub saw this as his chance. He knew he couldn't take on Agent Hotchner, he was much bigger and stronger than he was.

The unsub barely scrambled to his feet, trying to sprint out of the cell. Reid dove towards his legs and caught them. The unsub pitched forward, falling to the floor once again. The unsub kicked the weak Reid away and reached in his black coat. He pulled out a chloroform cloth, the only weapon he had. His syringes, his preferred sedating weapon, were back in the control room. His knife was still stuck in Hotchner's shoulder, the agent was trying to pull it out. The unsub pinned Reid down from behind and pressed the cloth againt his nose and mouth. Reid struggled and could probably kick him off if he was at full strength, but his body and muscles were tired and aching.

Reid slowly felt himself start to relax unwillingly.

 _Stay awake, Reid! Stay awake!_

Suddenly, something ripped the weight of the unsub off his back. Agent Hotchner regained himself, his shoulder dripping blood, and he pulled the unsub off Reid. The unsub turned around and threw the cloth and Hotchner's face. The BAU agent stumbled back, and this was the unsub's second and final opportunity. He raced out of the room. He ran so fast, he forgot to close the cell door.

"Reid!" Hotch shouted.

The young doctor panted, but he was okay. He gripped the wall as he pulled himself to his feet, "I'm okay."

"Good," Hotch flexed his injured shoulder, "let's go. We need to get to Morgan and Prentiss before the unsub does."

 **Chapter 11 coming soon!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Here's the next chapter! Enjoy! Leave me a fav/follow/review and let me know what you think!**

"Stay close," Hotch turned and advised Reid, "He's got the advantage, he knows this place better than we do."

Reid nodded. When they exited their cell, they were plunged in a series of underground tunnels. This was the first they'd seen of it. The only times they were transported through these halls were when they were unconscious and the unsub dragged them cell to cell.

The unsub could be hiding behind any corner, and they had no weapons except the bloodied knife that was buried in Hotch's shoulder. He wielded it expertly, eyes on red alert. Reid and Hotch were trying to find the control room so he could hack the system and release Prentiss and Morgan. They were so close now, they had begun their offensive. It was about time.

"I think I see a light up ahead," Hotch whispered.

Reid craned his neck and saw a dim glow around the corner, "I see it too. The control room could be there."

"Only one way to find out."

Reid and Hotch continued their slow trek through the underground tunnels.

"How are you doing?" Reid asked, looking at the drops of blood dotting the ground from Hotch's injured shoulder. His thumb was dislocated too.

"Me?" Hotch raised a brow, "I'll live. How are _you_ feeling?"

Reid chuckled, the bags under his eyes emphasized in the dim light, "I've been better. Let's just say the minute I see a bed, I'm sleeping for a week."

Hotch cracked a smile.

There was silence for a short moment.

"Hey, Hotch?"

"Yes, Reid?"

"I just wanted to say that what you did for Prentiss was incredibly brave, and I wasn't able to speak then but I want to now. It's been a pleasure serving with you and the BAU, sir, and I wouldn't trade a moment of it for anything."

Hotch stopped and looked at the young doctor deeply. He felt his heart swell with pride. Reid had come so far since his first day at the BAU. He was the youngest member on their team, but one of the most essential.

"Thank you, Reid," he patted his arm, "the pleasure is all mine."

Reid opened his mouth to respond, but his face morphed into one of shock. He tried to warn Hotch, but he was too late. Hotch seemed to catch on, but not fast enough as a shovel came sailing behind him and whacked him in the temple.

The BAU leader crumpled to the floor as Reid staggered back reflexively.

It was the unsub. He carried the long, rusted shovel in his hands, his gas mask still clad over his face.

" _Why, Dr. Reid! You seem quite recovered from the brink of death!"_ the unsub sailed forward with the shovel. Reid dodged from the side. He kicked out, digging his shoe into the unsub's back and pushing him to the floor roughly. Spencer ran to Hotch's side and tried to pull him to his feet. Hotch was groggy, shaking his head to clear his dizziness, as blood began to trail down the side of his face from his temple.

"Come on, Hotch! On your feet, we've got to move!"

The BAU leader staggered to his feet and followed Reid blindly. Stars were clearing from his vision and he tried to gather his focus.

The next thing he knew, he was inside a room surrounded by computers and monitors. The control room. It was much brighter in here, like regular office lighting. It seemed nice and modern in here, a stark contrast to the rest of the tunnels and cells.

"Here, Hotch, sit," Reid guided him towards an office chair and sat him down. Hotch opened his eyes to see Reid handing him a half empty bottle of water and an orange that seemed a bit too ripe. This was probably the unsub's food from the last few days.

"No, Reid, you-"

"Take it."

Reluctantly, Hotch accepted the water but denied the orange. His thoughts became clearer as the head impact began to recede slightly.

"We made it?"

"Yeah," Reid nodded, eyeing the elaborate set up, "the control room. It's the brain behind the operation. But the more I look around and observe my surroundings, I think we're underneath a station of some kind."

"A station? Like a train station or a subway?"

"Yeah, but not quite," Reid responded, "more like a maintenance station."

"Alright," Hotch sighed, "the unsub?"

"I managed to get us away for a bit. I locked the door behind us, but I don't know how long it'll hold."

"How long will it take you to handle this?" he gestured to the monitors and keyboards around him.

"I'm familiar with the models of these computers and their interfaces and softwares," Reid pursed his lips, "maybe about fifteen minutes I suppose-"  
Hotch exhaled deeply, "We'll need more time. The unsub will find a way in here before then."

"Well, there's nothing else I can do, this is the only-"

"Not quite," Hotch took one last sip of the water before he bolted to the door.

"Hotch, what are you doing!?" Reid shouted, "No!"

The BAU leader grabbed a few of the syringes lying on the desk and he gripped the knife from his shoulder, "I'll be back. Be fast, let's finish this once and for all."

Without another word, Hotch dove out of the room and into the underground tunnels to find the unsub.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"What now?" Prentiss breathed shakily, rubbing her singed wrists.

"I don't know," Morgan pursed his lips, "Reid didn't care to elaborate."

"Do you think the unsub helped him?" Emily looked to the floor, "I-I mean his pulse, it just stopped-"

"Damn it, Reid!" Derek shouted. Prentiss flinched, but she knew it was out of worry for their friend. Reid seemed fine one second and he lost his pulse the next. Was it part of the ruse? Was it real?

They had no way of knowing.

"Prentiss," Derek looked at her frantically, "we need to get out of here, we can't stay - I can't stay cooped up like this any longer."

"I-I agree," Emily narrowed his eyes, looking at him suspiciously, "Derek, are you feeling okay?"

He didn't seem to be listening to her. Prentiss kept her guard up. It had been quite some time since Derek had proper rest, food, and water. He was a big, strong guy - the biggest of them all. He had been doing a lot of the legwork.

"Fine, I'm fine," he grunted, scoping the corners of the cell for the hundredth time.

"Morgan, we need to play this right," Emily said in a soothing tone, "the unsub is smart, we can't just charge out of here with no plan. We need to trust Reid."

"What if Reid is dead, Emily?" Morgan turned on her, "Huh? What then? We're going to die in here if we don't do anything."

"The unsub's routine became unpredictable. We don't know what he'll do next, we don't know when our next opportunity might be-"

 _CLANG! CRASH!_

Both Prentiss and Morgan jumped in shock. Outside of their cell door, loud crashes echoed through the walls. It sounded like someone was banging against the metal, and the door was going to burst off it's hinges.

"Stay back, Prentiss!" Morgan rushed to her and shielded her with his body as the heavy door to their prison came crashing to the floor like a dead weight. Derek and Emily coughed, trying to see through the dust that gathered in the air. They squinted their eyes at a figure in the doorway, shielded right in the edge of the shadows.

"Hotch…?" Emily said optimistically.

The figure took a step forward. Morgan and Emily recognized those yellow eyes anywhere.

It was the unsub.

Prentiss felt Derek's body tense up with rage. He was staring the unsub down one on one. He believed this was his opportunity. However, Morgan had the disadvantage. The unsub was smaller in stature, but he was at full strength and with a weapon.

"Derek, no-" she called, but he rushed forward. Prentiss tried to lunge after him, but the wounds on her legs prevented a quick reaction. She hissed in pain as she fell to the floor.

Morgan, on the other hand, went charging through the doorway like a bull blinded by rage. The unsub laughed his snaky laugh behind that gas mask as he easily dodged the sluggish Derek.

" _What's the matter, Agent Morgan?_ " the unsub chuckled, " _Not feeling yourself?_ "

Derek shouted in anger and lunged at the unsub once again. The unsub easily pushed him to the floor with the edge of his shovel. Morgan hit the cement hard, feeling something pop in his shoulder.

Prentiss was staggering to her feet. She took a step forward, bit her lip, but her legs buckled beneath her. The blisters on her legs started to bleed and sting.

" _Tsk, tsk, Agent Morgan. I was led to believe you were the strongman of the group. Pity-ahh!"_

Derek wasn't going down without a fight. Once the unsub got close enough, Morgan reached out and swiped at his legs. The unsub went toppling to the floor, his shovel bouncing away from his hand. Morgan rolled over and pinned the unsub to the cement floor.

His eyes reflected pure hatred.

Emily called out again, "Derek, look out!"

Too little, too late. The unsub managed to grab a nearby stone and he brought it up and bashed it against Morgan's jaw. Derek went falling to the side as the unsub scrambled over to his shovel again. He wielded it high above his head, preparing to bash it down against Morgan's skull, when someone barreled him from the side like a tank.

Hotch threw himself at the unsub like an NFL linebacker. The unsub got the wind knocked out of him as he crashed to the floor, Hotch on top of him. Morgan recovered his breath and shook his head to see what relieved him of the unsub.

"Hotch?" he said in disbelief, "Y-you're okay?"

"For now," Hotch quickly glanced at him before settling his gaze back on the unsub, "Morgan, go help Prentiss. We're getting out of here."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

JJ and Rossi pulled up in their black SUV to the abandoned Lorton Train Maintenance Station. JJ felt a cold chill run through her. This seemed like the place.

"Medical teams are en route," JJ told Rossi as they walked towards the dispatched FBI team.

"Good," Rossi nodded, "let's hope we won't need them."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Reid shook his head, trying to rid himself of the worry building inside his chest. He couldn't stop thinking of Hotch, Prentiss, and Morgan. They were trapped out there with the unsub. He remembered why Hotch left him, so he could get them out of here with control of the mainframe. That's what he was going to do.

The software was efficient, the unsub definitely had a career as a computer science enginner or something of the sort. He tried to hack the system to no avail.

Oh, how he missed Garcia.

There was commotion a little ways away from the control room door, Reid could hear Hotch, Morgan, Prentiss, and undoubtedly the unsub.

 _Come on, Spencer, move faster,_ he willed himself to try cracking the firewall again, but it didn't work.

"Derek, look out!" he heard Prentiss' muffled voice through the door.

Reid closed his eyes and clenched his fists. He had to do something, he had to go help his friends. He knew he didn't have the strength to succeed, he would be dead weight to his friends.

Reid opened the door and looked both ways carefully. There seemed to be no threat directly outside, but he heard muffled shouts and a scuffle a little ways away.

He was about to head in that direction, when a sound reached his ears. Reid tilted his head, trying to pinpoint the location of it.

It sounded like a pressurized whistle, like when a kettle was coming to boil on the stove.

It seemed to be coming from behind him.

Reid looked towards the direction of his friends, but he knew that sound didn't mean a happy ending. With a heavy heart, Reid turned his back on his friends and turned towards the location of the sound.

He was led down a tunnel by dim light towards a rusty door at the end of the corridor. Reid approached it tentatively and turned the creaky knob. He was taken inside a boiler room of sorts.

Two things caught Reid's eye and a rush of dread filled his body.

Oxygen gas tanks that were releasing their contents and highly flammable liquid spilling onto the floor from large blue containers.

One though popped into Reid's head, not a good one. They needed to get out of here, they needed to run as fast as they could because-

"He's going to blow the place up," Reid whispered to himself.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

" _Do it,_ " the unsub laughed as he looked up at a menacing Hotch, " _Do it, Agent Hotchner. I dare you."_

"Talk all you'd like," Hotch growled back, "you're going to face justice properly in a court of law, just like all the other scumbags."

" _Look who's talking,_ " the unsub hissed in return.

Hotch ignored him. He looked over to Derek who was helping Emily to her feet. She was able to put some pressure on one leg, but not the other on account of the burns. Her arm wrapped around Morgan's shoulder as he propped her up.

"Emily, can you walk?" Hotch asked.

"Yeah, yeah," she nodded bravely, trying to conceal her pain, "I'll just need a minute or two to, uh, catch my breath…"

Hotch looked to Derek who shook his head.

"Morgan, get her out of here."

"What?" he gawked, "Hotch, what about you?"

"Leave me here," he said firmly, "we're underground, there's got to be a way up. Find it. Go, get out of here."

"N-no!" Emily's mouth dropped, "Hotch, you and Reid-"

"I'll get Reid," he answered, "Go. That's an order."

" _You heard the man_ ," the unsub chuckled.

"Quiet!" the BAU leader hissed.

Morgan and Prentiss didn't move.

"Derek," Hotch clenched his teeth, "I don't know how many of us are going to make it out of here, but give me the consolation of knowing at least two of you made did escape."

Morgan opened his mouth to speak.

"Please, Derek."

He looked Hotch dead in the eye and nodded. Prentiss protested as he scooped her up in his arms.

"No, Hotch, no!" she shouted, "Derek, we can't! Derek-"

"I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear, choking up, "I need to get you out of here."

Hotch watched as Morgan jogged out of the cell, turning the corner. He could hear Prentiss yelling down the corridor.

" _I cannot magine the pain you must be feeling,"_ the unsub chuckled, " _watching your friends and teammates disappear, possible never to be seen again."_

Hotch breathed harshly, trying to fight back emotion and an urge to punch the unsub in the face.

"Come on!" he growled, pulling the unsub to his feet by grabbing a fistful of his cargo jacket, "Time to move!"

" _You aren't going to do it?_ " the unsub pressed, " _You aren't going to kill me?"_

"No, because that's exactly what you want."

" _Live or die, I don't care. I'm lost inside either way."_

Hotch took the bait, "Why are you doing this? What vendetta do you have against us?"

" _Agent Hotchner, you were listening. You are the bane of my existence, the cause of my eternal pain. My brother is dead because of you."_

"Your brother?"

" _You killed him yourself. You don't remember."_

"No, I-"

" _What? You've killed too many you've lost count? Let that sink in, Agent Hotchner, to know your hands are just as dirty as the rest of us."_

Hotch felt a dark silence come over him.

" _Yes, that's it,"_ the unsub smiled behind his mask as he unshielded a small pocket knife in his hand, " _dwell on the lives who have fallen by your hand._ "

The unsub angled the knife so the blade was sticking towards Hotch's body.

" _You lead a team like you're heroes,_ " the unsub's teasing town became tinged with malice, " _when you're murderers all the same!_ "

He reared his hand back and drove the knife's blade towards Hotch's ribs.

"Hotch, look out!"

The BAU leader shook himself out of his stupor and saw the knife at the last second. The edge of it pierced his skin. He cried out in pain.

Reid, his rescuer, came and kicked the blade out of the unsub's hand. The young doctor knelt down by his boss and observed the new wound on Hotch's side.

"I'm fine!" he growled.

Reid pulled back, as Hotch looked at the unsub murderously.

"Hotch, we've got to leave, this is important."

His boss wasn't listening to him.

"Hotch!"

His head snapped in Reid's direction.

"The place is going to blow any second," he panted, "we need to clear out!"

" _So you found my little surprise, Dr. Reid?_ "

"Where?" Hotch ordered.

"Boiler room."

"Reid, take the unsub," Hotch made up his mind, "get to the top. Meet Morgan and Prentiss there."

"What? No!"

"Reid, that is an order-"

"I don't care!" Reid protested defiantly, "I am not leaving you! You sacrificed yourself for Prentiss, but you lived. I am _not_ letting you do that again. The BAU needs you, Hotch, we need you."

Hotch looked at him in slight shock and awe.

"And I'm not taking 'no' for an answer."

The BAU leader looked down at the unsub. He was a lost soul torn apart by grief. Unfortunately, that grief was caused by him and his team. Hotch knew no amount of talking would get through to the unsub. He blamed his brother's death on the BAU when he was mourning, when he needed a handle in the storm.

Hotch sighed deeply and looked down at the unsub. He carefully pulled the gas mask off the man's face. The unsub was a middle-aged man, once handsome, but his weariness aged him. He had brown eyes with salt and pepper hair, but they reflected anger and hurt.

"I'm sorry," the BAU leader looked deeply in the man's eyes, "for all the pain you feel. No words from me or my team can make it up to you, I understand, but know that we never intended for you to feel this way. We were just doing what needed to be done. Your brother was hurting people, and we will not allow that to happen."

The unsub turned away, heated tears streaming down his face.

"Hotch," Reid reminded him, "we need to go."

"How much time do we have?"

"Two minutes," the unsub responded.

Both BAU agents looked down at him in shock.

"You have two minutes until the tanks blow," the unsub sighed, "the entire station will fall, you'll be buried under rubble unless the flames get you first. Get out of here while you still have the chance."

"You're letting us go….?" Reid asked hesitantly.

The unsub's eyes flashed, "Don't let me change my mind."

"Why?" Hotch pressed.

"Because killing you won't bring my brother back," the unsub looked to the floor, "I've been planning this for almost four years. This has been the reason for me to wake up everyday. I watched you, I learned who you all were, I studied your weaknesses. Now, it's all fallen apart," he breathed heavily.

"Minute and thirteen seconds," Reid whispered to Hotch.

" _So, leave me here. End my suffering, Agent Hotchner. Please, don't let me go out into the world again, to face his death again. He was all I had, and he was taken. This plan has been my savior, and it's over. Let me die in my creation, let me die in peace_."

Reid looked to Hotch, awaiting their next move.

"Come on, Reid," Hotch pursed his lips, "the unsub died trying to escape. We were unable to apprehend him and turn him in to the authorities. That's the official report and cause of death. Understood?"

Reid dipped his head.

The unsub closed his eyes in relief.

"Let's go, Reid."

Hotch looked to his younger teammate who was looking at the unsub, trying to understand him. He finally turned away and nodded at Hotch.

Both BAU agents went running down the tunnel, leaving the unsub to finally rest in peace.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Morgan and Prentiss broke ground.

Derek found a sewage tunnel that led them directly to the surface. He climbed the ladder, then helped pulled Emily to the open air. Both agents breathed in the fresh oxygen, finally free from their underground cell.

"We made it," Derek laughed in relief, "we actually made it."

"I hope Hotch and Reid do too," Emily wasn't smiling.

"Trust me," Morgan placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "if anyone can make it out of there, it's Hotch and Reid."

Prentiss opened her mouth to speak but hissed in pain when the burns on her legs and wrists started to flare. She had tried to subdue the sensations for as long as she could, but they insisted on being treated.

"Come on, we need to get you some help," Derek knelt down and picked her up again.

"I'm sorry," she said in a low voice, "I'm sorry I can help you."

"Oh, please," he smirked.

"I owe you one."

"Don't think I won't collect," he winked back.

"Wait," Emily narrowed her eyes as she looked towards the horizon, "is that…?"

"JJ?" Morgan began to pick up speed, "Rossi?!"

"Hey!" Prentiss waved her hands, "Over here!"

"JJ! Rossi! We're here!"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Rossi and JJ were discussing an attack plan when JJ heard somebody call her name.

Agent Rossi perked up too.

That was a familiar voice.

"Hey! Over here!"

"JJ! Rossi! We're here!"

JJ turned around wildly, "Morgan? Prentiss?"

"I hear them!"

Rossi and JJ turned around in circles trying to pinpoint the sound of the voices.

"There!" Rossi pointed towards her left.

And there they were. Derek Morgan and Emily Prentiss dotted the horizon. JJ felt her heart swell with immense grief, her eyes teared up.

Derek was carrying Emily in his hands, but they both had smiles on their dirty, scuffed faces.

Rossi and JJ went running in their direction. Morgan was moving as fast as he could.

"Garcia!" JJ held the phone against her ear, "we found them! We found Prentiss and Morgan! They're okay-"

A bright orange light blinded JJ and Rossi. They were thrown back towards the ground as a wall of heat rushed over them. JJ heard a rining in her ears and she looked up with blurry vision as an explosion rocked the building.


	12. Chapter 12

**I apologize for how long it took me to update! This chapter may not be as exciting as the others, it's more to set up the rest of the plot! Trust me, the next few chapters will pick up again! Still an enjoyable chapter! Leave me a fav/follow/review, and let me know what you think!**

JJ tried to keep her eyes open as her ears rang. She looked around as muffled sounds recahed her. Rossi was regathering his bearings as well, beside her.

"Rossi…?" she asked, but her own voice sounded distant.

David pulled himself to his feet and walked over to JJ, helping her stand.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" she looked past him, at the billowing cloud of dust and smoke in front of her, "Where are Morgan and Prentiss!? Did they caught get in the explosion?!"

Rossi and JJ looked at each other with a dark expression, not wanting to answer the question. They went sprinting inside the storm of smoke and ash. JJ felt tears running down her face from the particles and debris peppering her face and body.

She just saw them on the horizon, hope finally filling her chest after days of worry, and they were gone the next minute.

"Morgan!" she shouted, looking around wildly, "Prentiss! Where are you!?"

"Derek!" she heard Rossi call out near her, "Emily! Say something so we can find you!"

A grim minute passed by. JJ felt herself go numb with sadness, worry, and fear.

"JJ…! Rossi….!"

"Emily!?" she heard her friend's voice in the wind.

"JJ! I found them!" David yelled to her.

She went racing through the gravel towards the voices, coughing as smoke filled her lungs. JJ saw Rossi's black jacket a few feet away. He was knealing by two figures on the ground. One was sitting up, one was laying on the gravel.

"Rossi?" JJ finally reached his side. Emily was sitting before her, propping herself up with one arm, the other rested on Derek protectively. Morgan was lying in the gravel, eyes closed.

"He's unconscious," David whispered to her.

JJ cradled his head in her lap as Prentiss tried to speak. She was stuttering, no doubt in shock.

"I-is he going to be okay?" she looked at Rossi, frantic, "He-he has to be okay, he can't be dead."

"He's not dead," JJ held Prentiss' hand, "Morgan is going to be alright. Emily, we need to get you two out of here."

"I'll get the medical evac teams," Rossi went running towards the dispatch teams to alert them.

Emily was shaking. JJ looked at her in pity and worry. Her eyes traveled down to the burns on her wrists and ankles. She remembered Morgan was carrying her.

"Oh, Emily," Prentiss wrapped her in a hug as Derek's head rested in her lap, "I'm so sorry, it should've been me. It wasn't going to be you, it should've been me."

Prentiss looked at her and spoke in a steady, clear voice, "Listen to me, JJ. This is not your fault. Don't ever say that, okay?"

"Okay," she responded, choking up.

"Down there!" JJ and Prentiss looked up to see Rossi pointing paramedics in their direction. Emily closed her eyes in relief, holding Derek's hand tightly.

"Emily, this is important, " JJ got her attention again, "Where are Hotch and Reid? Were they with you?"

Prentiss' eyes shot open and worry creased her face, "Hotch and Reid," her face drained of color, "JJ, I don't know, they-they were still inside when-when-"

"Talk to me, Prentiss, what is it?"

"Ma'am," one of the paramedics addressed her, "we're going to have to ask you to move."

"Yeah, just a minute," she retorted, and looked back at Emily.

"Hotch had the unsub," Prentiss said shakily, eyeing the paramedics who were circling them like vultures, "he told us to go. Reid was...I don't where he was. The unsub took him from our cell be-because he had no pulse. After that, I never saw him."

"Had no pulse?!" Rossi's jaw dropped.

Prentiss nodded, eyes welling with tears.

"Ma'am," the paramedic said more forcefully before shouldering her to the side. Neon jackets pulled Prentiss away from Morgan. A stretcher was brought and four men rolled Derek onto it before he was rushed to an ambulance. Emily kept trying to assure the paramedics she was alright, but they placed her on a gurney, wheeling her towards a waiting ambulance.

"It's okay, Emily," Rossi held her hand as she passed, "you're going to be alright, and so is Derek."

"Rossi, Reid and Hotch-"

"We'll get them, don't you worry. They're going to be fine."

She clung onto those words as the paramedics wheeled her off.

Rossi caught up to JJ who was staring at the blast sight. David hadn't gotten a good look at it, he was searching for Morgan and Prentiss.

It looked like a warzone.

JJ's glare was made of steel, "Hotch and Reid are still in there. We're going in."

"Yes, ma'am," Rossi looked at her with respect, unholstering his weapon, "the unsub is still in there."

"I know," she said curtly, "he's going to wish he wasn't."

"There are paramedics on standby," Rossi told her, "for Hotch and Reid."

"And the dispatch team?"

"They're ready when we are."

"Give them the signal. We go in now and we're not coming out until both Hotch and Reid are with us."

Rossi nodded in understanding before pulling out his phone and signaling the dispatch team to follow them inside.

JJ and Rossi carefully stepped over the explosion debris as fire engines and police cars pulled up to the scene. They caught up to the sewer hatch Derek and Emily pulled themselves out of. The lid was pushed slightly to the side, leaving an opening for JJ, Rossi, and three Lorton FBI agents to climb down.

JJ went first. She put her gun in its holster as she slowly descended the ladder, Rossi following close behind. Her feet splash in a puddle as she made contact with the ground. Rossi looked around the tunnel and the underground maintenance station.

"This is a pretty complex network of tunnels here," he commented, "the unsub would have to have been very familiar with them if he navigated his way around so quick."

"Then we've got to keep our eyes open," JJ cocked her gun.

The inside of the tunnel was charred. The explosion had rocked the foundations of the maintenance station. Concrete pillars were toppled to the floor. Large fissures sprawled across the ground. Debris littered the platforms. It seemed very unlikely anything survived the blast.

 _Don't think like that,_ she told herself.

"Up here," Rossi found a relatively clear path. He directed JJ and the three Lorton agents deeper into the maintenance station.

JJ looked around every corner, half expecting the unsub to jump them. She felt her finger itching to pull the trigger. If anything had happened to Hotch and Reid, the unsub was going to be _very_ sorry.

"Here, the blast marks look more prominent," David commented on the walls that looked more soot-stained and charred. There was a long, dark tunnel that led them into the heart of the station. That had to be where they were.

JJ felt her heart sink.

Rossi led the way first. He held his gun in one hand, and a flashlight in the other. JJ and a Lorton agent flanked him. The other two brought up the rear.

The Lorton agent next to her coughed, "You sure your friends are down here? No offense, but this blast looks pretty bad."

"Oh, they're down here alright," Rossi echoed what JJ was thinking, "I know they are."

The Lorton agent shook his head, but continued trekking with the group.

A few hundred feet later, the long corridor open into a large open platform. Against the far wall, she spotted a heavy metal door hanging off its hinges.

"Prentiss told me they were trapped in a cell," JJ looked at the teetering door, "I think that's the room."

"Only one way to find out," Rossi held his breath as he inched closer to the room. He placed a foot over the threshold, waving at the air to clear the dust and ash around him. JJ followed him in slowly, feeling her heartbeat quicken.

It was a small room with nothing inside except a smoking camera in the far corner of the cell.

"He must've watched them through that," Rossi grit his teeth.

"They escaped," JJ said hopefully, "if they're not in here, they must've found some shelter from the explosion."

"Along with the unsub," Rossi said candidly, "stay sharp."

"Hey!" one of the Lorton agents called, "There's another hallway here!"

JJ, Rossi, and the FBI agents quickly scuttled down the hall, looking behind their backs to make sure nobody was following them. They entered a room that was now seared to its bare bones. Computers, monitors, and keyboards sparked in the charred remains of the room.

"Nobody here either," Rossi remarked as he gawked at the damage, "but damn, that must've been some explosion."

"Any evidence that can help us find them?" JJ asked.

"Nothing that I can see," her teammate shook his head, "we'll have forensics comb through it later and see what they find. Let's keep moving, they've got to be close."

The group of five exited the room, back into the tunnels.

JJ looked to her left and saw a rusted shovel lying on the ground. The brown edge was covered in blood.

"Look at this," she walked over grimly, kneeling down by the tool, "Rossi...I don't have a good feeling about this."

"It could be the unsub's blood," he offered, but both of them felt like that was unlikely.

"Hey!" one of the Lorton agents called behind them, "I found something - it's a body!"

Rossi and JJ immediately turned in his direction. All color drained from JJ's face as she went racing over the agent's side, Rossi close behind.

She was preparing herself to see the charred remains of either Hotch or Reid. She didn't want to look into the glassy, lifeless eyes of one of her friends, she couldn't see that.

 _Pull yourself together, JJ,_ she willed herself to focus, _this is still your job._

No matter who they were or how personal the case was to her, she was still an FBI agent of the BAU and she needed to concentrate on her task in a professional manner.

She took a long, deep breath, opened her eyes, and prepared herself to see the worst.

What she saw were the blackened remains of a human being that was neither Hotch nor Reid. It was a middle-aged man with greying hair. He had found shelter behind one of the concrete pillars, so he wasn't burned beyond recognition, but deep red welts seared his skin. A trail of blood trickled down the side of his mouth, black ash and grim smeared his face, and his glassy eyes stared straight at JJ.

"Is this one of your friends?" the Lorton agent who called them over spoke slowly, carefully looking at both Rossi and JJ.

JJ opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. The eyes were still staring right at her.

"No," Rossi said firmly, speaking for the both of them, "he is not of one them. This must be the unsub."

"I'm going to call this in," the agent nodded, stepping to the side as he spoke into his walkie talkie.

Rossi turned to JJ, "How are you doing?"

"Hotch and Reid aren't here," she gulped, "Rossi, where could they be?"

"It's okay, they haven't searched the entire station yet," David reassured her, "we're going to find them."

She nodded, "Any word on Prentiss and Morgan?"

"They took them to a nearby hospital," Rossi informed her, "Emily has second degree burns on her wrists and ankles, and a dislocated shoulder. Derek has a bad concussion, apparently he hit his head when the explosion knocked him off his feet. Both are severely dehydrated and in need of food and nutrients. A few days of recovery, I'd say."

"Good," JJ released a breath in relief, "as long as they're safe. I just hope I can say the same for Hotch and Reid…"

"Trust me," Rossi placed a hand on her shoulder, "we're going to find them."

"Don't you think they would've called out or signalled us if they were still...alive?" she looked to her feet.

"We can't think like that, JJ, we need to stay positive. Hope is the one thing we can't lose now."

She opened her mouth to respond when the Lorton agent came jogging back to them.

"Sorry to interrupt," he panted, "but I think they've got something upstairs."

"What do you mean?" Rossi furrowed his brows, "on what?"

"Your teammates."

"Agents Morgan and Prentiss?" Rossi clarified.

"No, the other ones. The missing ones."

"H-Hotch and Reid…?" JJ said in a small voice.

"They found them?!" David pressed.

"My team said they found two unidentified males in a side duct on one of the abandoned railways. They're not getting any responses back, so they're suiting up two men to go down into the duct."

"Why can't they access it through here?" JJ asked, gesturing to the tunnels around her.

"Apparently it's completely blockaded by fallen pillars and debris. It's got to be manually and from up top."

"Okay, let's move," Rossi raced towards the ladder leading up to the sewage tunnel.

They reached the surface and rushed towards the dispatch teams. Ambulances, firetrucks, police cars, and emergency vehicles crowded the gravel driveway. Rossi eyed his black SUV.

JJ ran by his side as they saw the dispatch teams huddled just a few hundred feet ahead.

"Talk to me!" Rossi demanded as he neared, "What's the status on the two agents?"

"Two males down there-"

"I already heard that from your other agent," he held up a hand, "any _new_ information?"

"Nothing yet, the rescue teams are still getting suited up."

"Tell them to move faster," Rossi grit his teeth as he walked past the agent, "these agents been without water, food, and rest for days, and they're in need of medical attention. Let's pick up the pace!"

JJ neared the thick of the huddle. She pushed through black coats and bullet proof vests until she was staring at the jagged edges of an open duct. It was dark through the hole, smoke, dust, and ash still filtering out of it and into the open air. She tried to make sense of any shape or form through the opening, but nothing was clear yet.

"Here come the rescue teams!" someone called.

"Light her up!"

Dozens of flashlights from the agents illuminated at once. They pointed their beams to the opening of the duct. Rossi made it to JJ's side.

They both looked at each other once then stared into the duct opening.

"Oh my God," Rossi stiffened next to her.

JJ shook her head and closed her eyes, fighting back tears.

Through the open duct, two men lay on the floor, unconscious.

One was tall and muscular with jet black hair. He had blood dripping down his temple and some seeping through the side of his white shirt.

The other was tall, skinny, and with an angular face. His long, golden hair looked tangled and dirty. He looked pale and gaunt. A tattered, oversized black suit jacket draped across him.

"Here we go! Rescue teams moving in!" a voice called in the crowd.

"Someone get the gurnies ready!"

"Damn, are they even alive?"

JJ and Rossi stood motionless among the chapter, for the two unconscious men in the duct were their fellow teammates and friends, Hotch and Reid.

 **Chapter 13 coming soon!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Thank you for all the support in the last chapter! Enjoy this one! I introduce a new character and it's entirely from his perpsective, should be interesting! More to come! Leave me a fav/follow/review!**

"I'm all hooked in. Send me down," said John. He was on the rescue team, ready to dive into the duct and retrieve the two unidentified males down below. HIs partner, Chad, was still patching up his suit. John stepped up to the plate.

He stood at the edge of the duct, placing protective glasses over his eyes due to the debris and ash still floating through the air. He had on gloves and a special suit fit for this type of procedure. A technician latched his vest onto a hook. He nodded to the rest of the officers who watched him in silence.

John slowly lowered himself down into the narrow duct. A tight cord being controlled from above held him into place. The world became darker as he fell further into the depths of the maintenance station. From what he heard, there were two missing FBI agents, and these two men could very well be them. He hoped to God they weren't dead.

A voice spoke into the intercome in his ear, "You okay there, John?"

"Fine," he grunted, avoiding jagged planks and trying to wave away the dust and debris.

"Chad's almost ready," the voice informed him.

"Got it."

There was no further communication. John pulled the flashlight from his pocket, lighting the bulb and pointing it around him to become familiar with his surroundings. He pointed the beam to the floor and saw the two bodies.

"I've got a visual."

"Good," the voice responded, "when you touch ground, please confirm if the subjects deceased."

"Copy that."

After a few more seconds and some manuveuring, John felt the soles of his shoes reach the ground. He stood tall, unhooking the latch from his suit, and approaching the two men on the floor.

"I'm approaching the first male. To confirm, he has dark hair, looks to be in his forties, and seems to have a wounds on his head and flank."

"Is he breathing?"

John braced himself and pressed two fingers against Hotch's neck.

He felt a heartbeat.

"First male is alive, I repeat, the first male is alive. We need medical teams down her immediately."

"Damn it," the voice sighed, "we can't get them down there, it's too narrow. Johnny, you're going to have to bring him up."

"Okay, get Chad down here and we can send him up."

"The duct is barely big enough for two," the voice delivered more bad news, "I'm afraid you're going to have to bring him up yourself. We're going to drop a harness down to you to strap him in."

"Right," John gulped, looking at the unconscious man before him. A black harness fell through the duct and on the floor by John's feet. He picked it up and looked at the fallen agent, "here we go."

John stepped on the other side of Hotch, gently trying to fasten the harness around him. He tried to avoid the man's flank to not injure the wound further, but he accidentally scuffed it with one of the harness' straps.

That's when the man's eyes shot open and he sat upright.

"Whoa, whoa!" John shouted in alarm, falling back.

Hotch's eyes reflected fear, confusion, anger, and panic. He looked at John as a threat.

"What's going on down there?!" the voice yelled in John's ear.

Hotch looked around wildly, only seeing darkness, an unconscious Reid, and an unfamiliar man.

"Who are you?!" Hotch snarled.

John put his hands up, "Hey, calm down, buddy! I'm here to help you!"

"How do I know that!?" Hotch growled, ready to attack, "How can I trust you!?"

A new voice echoed in John's ear. It was a female, kind and calm, "Tell Agent Hotchner this is Agent Jareau."

"A-Agent Jareau, she-she sent me!" he spoke quickly, "Do-do you want to speak to her?"

Instantly, Hotch detained. His shoulders relaxed and he looked at John skeptically.

"Agent Jareau?" he repeated carefully.

"Yeah, yeah," John nodded, eyes wide in fear as he looked at the agent up and down.

Hotch looked at him expectantly. John pulled the earpiece from his ear and handed it to the agent with a shaking hand. Hotchner quickly grasped it from him, placing it in his ear as he looked at John dangerously.

"Hello?" he spoke into it tentatively.

JJ felt relief rush through her, "Hotch," her voice cracked, "you're okay."

"More or less," he said gruffly, "Morgan and Emily-"

"We got them, they're at a local hospital," she confirmed, "we need to get you and Reid out right now."

"Reid-!" Hotch remembered. He immediately turned to the young doctor who looked properly dead on the floor.

"I've got him," John said firmly as he crossed over to Reid, "I was going to get you out first then come back for him."

"No, no-" Hotch said, out of breath. He was becoming dizzy. A feeling of nausea built up inside him and his vision grew fuzzy, "He….he….."

The next thing John knew, Agent Hotchner collapsed. He lunged forward and managed to grip the buff agent before he fully hit the floor. He was trying to catch his breath, and he was shaking his head trying to clear his vision.

"Hey, buddy, are you okay?"

"Hotch-?" John heard the female voice through the earpiece.

"I-I don't feel so….," his eyes rolled back in his head and Agent Hotchner went limp.

John pressed the earpiece to his lips, "The agent collapsed on me, I believe he's unconscious!"

John dropped the earpiece and wrestled the rest of the harness on the muscular man. Once he was sure the agent was secure, he clipped himself onto the hook and signalled his team to pull him up. Slowly the cord started to retract back into the cable holder. John was strapped in tightly, and he held on to Agent Hotchner as they neared the surface. He could see waiting officers at through the duct opening, waiting to pull them up.

"Here they come!"

"Get ready, boys!"

Once they reached light, hands helped John pull Hotchner over the edge and onto the grass. He saw a blonde woman a few feet away, watching the scene in desperate worry. That must've been Agent Jareau.

"You did great, Johnny," he felt hands clap him on the back.

"Send me back down," he ordered, "I've got to get the other one."

John quickly strapped himself back onto the hook and felt the cable lower once again. He reached the ground, more familiar now, and raced over to the second man. John felt for a pulse again.

"Anything?" the voice in his ear spoke.

"Nothing yet…."

"Can you confirm the subject is deceased?"

"Yes," he sighed, looking to the ground, "the subject is-"

 _Buh-Bum._

John jumped, looking down at the unconscious young man, "No, wait! I got a pulse! The subject is in fact alive! Get the medical teams ready, I'm bringing him up!"

John waited for the men on the surface to drop the harness again. He heard sirens and saw flashing red lights over the edge. The black holster fell to the ground and John grabbed it. He approached the unconscious agent, quickly trying to attach the harness to him. His light brown hair fell around him. His face was scuffed and gaunt. His skin was pale, and he was wearing an oversized black suit jacket.

He carefully attached the straps. There were no injuries on the young man that he could see, but he didn't want to risk it. John got the harness on as best as he could, and he dragged the young agent towards the cable. The guy looked like he should be dead…

John tugged on the cable right after he hooked himself back up, "Alright! Pull us up!"

The cord started to retract back into the cable holder. John felt his feet leave the ground as he began to head to the surface once more. Hanging with him was the unconscious, barely breathing agent.

"It's okay, buddy," he said quietly, knowing the guy couldn't hear him, "almost there, pal."

Within a minute, they broke the surface again. Dozens of officers and agents helped the John unlatch unconscious agent from the harness. He was carried off by paramedics onto a gurney.

"You're a hero, Johnny!"

"Way to go, man!"

"Wait till the guys back at the office hear this!"

Though John felt congratulations tackle him left and right, John was peering over the crowd after the gurney. The far off ambulance prepared to take in the young agent, the paramedics carefully placed him in the stomach of the emergency vehicle. Running after ithem was the female agent, Agent Jareau, and an older man with dark hair and tan skin following her. They must be part of their team.

Agents Hotchner and the young one were placed inside the ambulance. The lights started turning and the sirens were blaring as they screeched down the street, a black SUV right behind them.

 **Chapter 14 coming soon!**

 _Stay strong guys,_ John thought as his teammates and remaining officers continued to pat him on the back and cheer him on, _I hope you guys make it._


	14. Chapter 14

**Thank you all for your patience, you guys are the best! I love reading all of your reviews and seeing what you think, it means so much! Thank you, thank you! Here's the next chapter! Enjoy! A little more profiling in this one (the team does what they do best!) Leave me a fav/follow/review!**

Morgan felt himself come to. He opened his eyes and was met with complete white. A white hospital room. A white bed. A white bed cover. A white hospital gown. He eyed the IV in the crook of his elbow cautiously.

Derek tried to sit up, but had to do so carefully. A splitting headache quaked through this brain and he rubbed his temples, trying to ease the irritation.

Everything he looked at made shooting pain travel to his head. Normal sounds and sights were amplified. A passing nurse saw that he was awake and closed the blinds in his room.

"Thank you," he sighed in relief, welcoming the darkness.

She smiled and started to walk out of the room.

"Wait!" he called, "Where am I?"

"Lorton General Hospital," she replied, before glancing at his chart, "brought in about two hours ago."

"Two hours?" he echoed.

She nodded kindly, "I'll bring your doctor now, he can answer your questions."

"Thank you," he said gratefully.

She exited the room and turned down the hall.

Morgan lay his head back on his pillow, trying to piece together recent events. He remembered carrying Emily out through the sewage duct. On the horizon he could see JJ and Rossi, and he was filled with relief. The next moment, _BOOM!_

A thundering force knocked him off his feet. Emily fell out of his hands. His body hit the ground hard, his head following soon afterwards…

"Derek Morgan?" he heard a voice in the doorway. A tall man in a long white coat approached him, "I"m Dr. Stein. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," he responded, "what about my friend? She's a woman, she should've come in with me. Is she okay?"

"Ah, Ms. Prentiss," the doctor nodded, "she's recovering nicely, she'll be okay."

"Thank God," Derek sighed and rested his head against the pillow.

"As for you, Mr. Morgan," the doctor examined his clipboard, "you suffered a nasty concussion. It'll take time for you to heal, but no physical injuries as far as I can tell."

"There were two others," Derek gulped, "two other agents, Aaron Hotchner and Spencer Reid….are they…?"

The doctor's gaze darkened.

 _Oh no,_ Morgan thought grimly.

"The ambulance brought them by a few minutes ago. They're in intensive care."

"Do-do you happen to know their conditions?" Derek pressed.

"There has been no update since their arrival. The last notification I got was that two FBI agents arrived in critical condition. That was nearly half an hour ago. That's all I know, my apologies."

"Please, doc," Derek said with a breaking voice, "is there any way I can see them?"

"Unfortunately we can't allow-"

"You don't understand," Derek said with more force. His fists were clenched, he looked like he was ready to fight his way out, "they're not just teammates-they're family! I've got to-"

"Settle down, Derek," a new, familiar voice sounded from the doorway.

Hope trickled into Morgan's chest when he looked over at the threshold. Sitting in a wheelchair, looking relatively okay, was Emily Prentiss. Holding the wheelchair handles was JJ and beside her stood Rossi.

Relief blossomed through him and he smiled. They approached him with equal emotion. Dr. Stein silently exited the room, giving the friends their privacy. JJ went over and wrapped Morgan in a hug. Rossi patted him on the shoulder, and Emily touched his forearm.

"Derek," JJ breathed, "are you feeling okay?"

"No need to worry about me," he dipped his head, "I'll be okay."

"The doctor told us you have a severe concussion," Rossi raised a brow.

"I'll handle it, I'm just glad to see you guys," he affirmed them, "listen, what's the status on Reid and Hotch?"

Emily looked to the floor, "They came in after us. I have as much word on it as you do."

Derek's eyes found JJ, who sighed heavily, "Rossi and I followed the ambulance to the hospital but Reid and Hotch were rushed inside. The nurses have been keeping us back, we're not allowed to see them."

"Damn," Morgan clenched his fist, "do we know what happened in there after Prentiss and I escaped?"

"There was an explosion," Emily looked to Rossi and JJ, "but we never saw any explosives when we were in there."

"Do you think Reid and Hotch knew?" JJ asked.

"If they didn't, they'd be dead," Rossi said darkly.

"And the unsub?" asked Morgan.

The room was silent for a moment until Rossi spoke.

"Dead."

"The explosion?"

"Yes."

"How did Reid and Hotch make it out?"

JJ explained, "Rossi and I went down the sewage duct you two came out of with a few other agents. There was chatter uptop that they found two men in a small duct leading to the station below. A technician went down there and pulled both of them out."

"We're they conscious?" Prentiss asked.

"Hotch was briefly," Rossi answered, "he didn't reveal much, but JJ talked to him quickly before he was out again."

"I'm going to try and flag down another nurse," JJ decided as she headed for the door, "to get some more information. I'll be back."

Rossi, Prentiss, and Morgan watched the blonde BAU agent go as she rounded the corner down the hall.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

It was like it all happened in slow motion.

The ambulance doors flew open.

Paramedics scrambled out of the belly of the vehicle.

Two gurneys were hurriedly pulled out, down the ramp.

Waiting nurses and doctors ran to meet the paramedics.

Two BAU agents, one older with black hair and one young man with long light brown hair, were wheeled inside the hospital at lightning speed.

"We've got two in critical here!"

"Let's get the IV going!"

"Someone start a central line!"

Neither Agents Hotchner nor Reid were aware of the commotion around them. They were completely engrossed in the darkness of their subconsciouses.

A black SUV screeched to a stop in front of the ambulance, red and blue sirens wailing. Two people emerged from the vehicle. They charged the hospital doorway, eyes on the two gurneys being tended to. They were met with a flurry of nurses trying to hold them back.

Machinery, probes, wires, and sensors were hooked up to the two men.

"Patient name, Aaron Hotchner. Age, 43 years old. White male, black hair. Laceration on the right abdomen. Head wound on the left temple. Stab wound on the right shoulder. Dislocated thumb, left hand."

The doctors cut through Hotch's clothes, exposing the wounds on his side and shoulder. Gloved hands pressed gauze against the bleeds, trying to stem the flow of blood.

"Patient name, Spencer Reid. Age, 26 years old. White male, light brown hair. Laceraton above the right eye. Superficial wound on the left forearm. Severe dehydration. Body temperature: 95 degrees Farenheit, 35 degrees Celsius. Nearly hypothermic. Weakness, Fatigue."

Warming blankets were put all around the gaunt looking young man as doctors removed the damp, oversized suit jacket from Reid's shoulders.

"Team 1, Aaron Hotchner in ER room 3. Team 2, Spencer Reid in ER room 4. Move it, people, move it!"

The gurneys were wheeled to their respective rooms. The blinds were pulled down on both sides as doctors and nurses tirelessly worked on their patients.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"I can't just sit here like this," Derek huffed, throwing his legs out of the covers and trying to get to his feet, "I need information!"

"Whoa, there, Morgan! Careful!" Rossi caught him as Derek swayed on his feet. He steadied himself after a moment, trying to ignore the pain throbbing through his head.

"I'm okay," he said after a moment. Prentiss looked at him skeptically. Derek pulled on a robe over his hospital gown, "come on, let's go see where JJ is."

Rossi didn't protest. He wanted to more information on Hotch and Reid's condition too, they all did. Emily smiled gratefully at Rossi as he pushed her wheelchair. Derek hobbled close behind.

They made it to the waiting room desk. All three of them looked haggard, but determined. Rossi was their spokesperson.

"Excuse me, ma'am," he said with his usual charm, "my friends and I had a question. I'm sure a pretty lady like yourself can be of great help to us."

She blushed, "Of course, sir, what can I help you with?"

Rossi winked, "Thanks, doll. Two FBI agents came in about an hour ago. Do you mind telling us what the status is on their conditions?"

The nurse typed into her computer, "Let's see...yes, two FBI agents: Aaron Hotchner and Spencer Reid. Both arrived in critical condition. No update since then."

Morgan clenched his fists. Prentiss sighed in frustration.

"Thank you, ma'am," Rossi nodded, then turned to his two friends.

"They'll update us when they can I guess," Derek clenched his jaw, "and JJ is looking into it. I want to talk about something else, I want to talk about the unsub."

"Derek, we don't have to do this now-" Rossi started.

"No, he's right," Emily countered, "let's do what we do best. Let's profile."

Rossi looked at both of them. Their eyes were filled with passionate determination. Despite their struggles, they still wanted to do their parts and help.

"Okay," he agreed and they gathered at the waiting room chairs, "the body was recovered and was being taken to the coroner's office for an autopsy to determine exact cause of death. It's extremely probable though that the explosion killed him, nothing before."

Emily spoke first, "Last I remember of him was Hotch having him pinned down. Reid wasn't there."

"Where was he?" Rossi asked.

"I don't know," Morgan shook his head, "the unsub took him out of our cell, that's the last we saw of him."

"He had a plan though," Emily mentioned, "Reid told us to go with it, I guess his pulse stopping ruse worked."

"I don't know how he did it," Derek sighed, "but it's Reid, only he would know how."

"So, let's start from the top," Rossi gathered his thoughts, "The unsub took you two, Reid, and Hotch. His victimology was very specific, it was you four. Garcia and I walked right past him and he didn't react. It was when JJ passed that things grew complicated."

"What do you mean?" Derek furrowed his brows.

"The unsub was initiallty supposed to take JJ, you," he looked at Morgan, "Reid and Hotch. Emily, you were never part of his plan."

"Why?" Prentiss asked, shocked, "why you four?"

"Reid told us in the cell that we knew him," Derek recalled, "it must've been very early in our careers, before you two joined the team. He said we were the cause of his pain."

"It was probably because an unsub you guys caught was close to him and he was exacting revenge," Rossi exhaled deeply, "he must've been planning this for years. He couldn't take JJ because she was on the phone with Will, it would've exposed him. Instead, he kidnapped the next female agent that passed by, Prentiss, and that was you."

"What else did you guys find?" Emily pressed.

"He's a middle-aged male, smaller in stature, lacking confidence, and very organized. He had this entire thing planned from the get-go."

"We ruled out religious motives when we were profiling inside the cell," Morgan clenched his jaw, "it was for revenge. Now we know it stemmed from an earlier caught unsub. Do we know who?"

"Not yet, Garcia is working on it. The blast left the corpse nearly unrecognizable, so she's waiting on dental records to confirm."

"Let's think about his weapons choices," Emily redirected their discussion, "each of us were placed in different trials-"

"Trials?" Rossi interrupted, "Like challenges?"

"Only much worse," Morgan shuddered, "he would kidnap one of us and force the others to profile potential unsub's in 20 seconds. Fail to complete the task and the other gets killed."

"The first taken was Reid," Emily explained, "he used a knockout gas then came inside the cell and take him."

"Another trait of his unconfident behavior," Rossi noted, "continue."

"He took Reid and placed a small monitor in the room to play a live feed. He communicated with us over and intercom, but the camera in the room watched our every move. Reid was inside a large tank and it started to fill with water. When we completed the challenge, he released him."

"That was the first trial," Morgan continued, "Prentiss was taken next. Acid began to pool up and out of a drain, filling the floors. Emily narrowely escaped, only because Hotch offered to take her place."

"So he wasn't going to stop before that?" Rossi asked, "did you guys fail the challenge?"

"No," Morgan gulped with guilt, "I-I lashed out at him. The consequence was not being able to take part in the challenge and ultimately save Emily. He was going to let her die because of me."

"Don't say that," she placed a consoling hand on his arm, "there was nothing else that could be done."

"That's very interesting," Rossi leaned back in his chair, "he was willing to stop Emily's trial completely at the expense of Hotch."

"Does that mean he was targeting him in specific?" Prentiss ventured.

"That's what I'm thinking," Rossi nodded, "that all of this was made for Hotch."

"That does explain Hotch's trial…" Morgan looked to the floor, "the unsub had him cuffed in a room alone. We know Hotch's greatest weakness is his connection to us. If something happens to one of us, Hotch feels it too, very personally. The unsub made his trial so that he would be alone with his thoughts, thinking about how his team was out there without his help, alone, and trying to fight to save themselves."

"It must've been killing him," Emily said in a small voice.

"Guys?"

All heads turned towards the waiting room doorway. JJ stood there, looking at them with hopeful eyes.

"JJ," Rossi stood up and walked to her, "how are they? Did you get anymore news?"

"Not a lot on Reid, he's still in the ICU. As for Hotch, he's in recovery. The doctor allowed us access to see him."

"Thank God," Morgan sighed with relief.

"Is he okay?" Prentiss asked.

JJ nodded, "Yeah, and he's ready to talk about what happened."

"Then let's not keep him waiting," Rossi said firmly. JJ looked at him and at the others. She nodded once and turned around to head to Hotch's hospital room. The rest of them followed close behind.

 **Chapter 15 coming soon!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Here we go, next chapter! For those of you looking forward to Reid whump, there will be some more next chapter! Enjoy! Leave me a fav/follow/review on what you think!**

"Hotch?" JJ knocked on the hospital door quietly.

The supervising agent opened his eyes. He was awake, just thinking. Rossi, JJ, Morgan, and Prentiss crowded the dorway. Prentiss was in a wheelchair being pushed by Rossi. Her wrists and ankles were bandaged and there were some cuts and scrapes on her body. Morgan looked to be hobbling slowly, he was holding onto his IV stand for some mild support. They all looked happy and relieved to see him.

Hotch sat up, groaned, realized it wasn't a great idea, and lay back down, "Come in?" he said, slightly strained.

"How're you doing?" Rossi asked quietly.

"I've been better," he smirked, "but certainly not my worst," he looked at Morgan and Prentiss with worry, "you two?"

"Fine, Hotch," Prentiss grinned, "don't you worry about us."

"She's right," Derek nodded, "but we want to know what happened. What triggered the explosion, and what happened to Reid and the unsub?"

"But if it's too soon-" JJ began.

Hotch held up a hand, "No, it's alright," he exhaled deeply, "I want to discuss it as well. First off, how's Reid?" he looked at them expectantly.

"No new information yet," JJ looked to the floor, "he's still critical."

"How-how was he when you last saw him?" Morgan asked hesitantly.

"I'll explain to you my version of events and we'll compare observations," he took a breath and began, "Once I told you both to leave, the unsub got...got in my head. He was goading me into thinking this was my all my fault-"

"-which it wasn't," Prentiss said vehemently. The others readily agreed.

"Thank you," Hotch dipped his head, "but in that moment, I grew distracted. His words had struck a chord within me, and he was about to strike me with a small, concealed knife when Reid intervened and warned me. We both held the unsub securely, now that he was completely unarmed, and he began to explain the reasoning behind his actions. Years ago, we caught his brother and, in retaliation, he targeted us for taking a loved one from him. His plan was elaborate, four years in the making. That's when he mentioned the explosives."

"Explosives," Rossi nodded in confirmation, "so he deliberately set them, it wasn't due to natural causes?"

"No, he intentionally planted them to ensure our destruction in case things went awry in his plans," Hotch affirmed.

"So, what?" Derek pressed, "he tried attacking and you two escaped? How'd the unsub end up on one side of the station and you two turn up in one of the side ducts? How did the explosives go off?"

Hotch's gaze grew guarded, like he was hiding something, "We ran as far as we could and as fast as we could."

"And the unsub just...let you go?" Prentiss asked, confused. It wasn't adding up.

"I don't remember quite clearly," he said with a slightly terse tone, "it's a little fuzzy because of the blast."

Rossi narrowed his eyes. Hotch wasn't saying everything that happened down there. He would talk to him in private and see if he could pry it out of him later.

"When you two were escaping," JJ continued, "how'd you end up in the duct?"

"Reid and I were barreling down the corridors when the blast started," Hotch explained, "he pushed me towards the left and we fell inside the duct. I tried to cover us as much as possible, but a wall of heat hit us and we we're out. The next thing I remember was waking up in the duct and being pulled to the top. I spoke to JJ on the phone, and now here we are."

"Hotch," Prentiss reached out and held his hand lightly, "you got us out of there, you're a hero."

Derek looked at him earnestly, "Yeah, man. Without you, Hotch, we wouldn't be here today. None of us."

"I'm sorry to interrupt," a new voice came from the doorway. It was Dr. Stein, the same physician who helped Morgan, "I have some new information on Mr. Spencer Reid."

"Doctor," Derek cleared his throat, "It's, uh, Dr. Spencer Reid."

"Right, my apologies," Dr. Stein corrected, "Dr. Spencer Reid."

"What can you tell us?" Rossi pressed.

Dr. Stein closed the hospital room door. Rossi, JJ, Prentiss, and Morgan were gathered by Hotch's bed. All of them were listently intently to Dr. Stein's words.

"Agent Hotchner and Dr. Reid were both brought in at the same time, both in critical condition," Dr. Stein read off his clipboard, "Agent Hotchner, you were examined with a laceration on the right abdomen, a head wound on the left temple, a stab wound on the right shoulder, and a dislocated thumb on the left hand."

"Jesus," Rossi muttered under his breath.

"You're awake and talking, which are good signs. We're going to keep you here in the ICU for a few days for observation."

JJ smirked when she heard Hotch scoff. She knew he wouldn't like it.

"As for Dr. Reid," the room's atmosphere grew tense as Dr. Stein continued, "he was brought in and examined with a laceraton above the right eye, superficial wound on the left forearm, severe dehydration, low body temperature: 95 degrees Farenheit, 35 degrees Celsius, nearly hypothermic, weakness, and fatigue."

Derek's fists clenched and he looked to the floor. Dr. Stein waited a moment as the news sunk in.

"We administered warming towels and various other methods to return his body temperature back to normal," he explained, "it took a while due to the poor condition of his body's immune system. After several hours, we were able to normalize Dr. Reid's body temperature. He's on heavy medication and being pumped with vitamins until his immune system recovers fully."

"But-but he's okay…?" Morgan said hopefully.

"Yes," Dr. Stein smiled, "with a couple of days rest, he's going to be just fine."

The room burst into smiles of relief and and gratitude. Rossi shook Dr. Stein's hand. Morgan and Prentiss hugged. JJ helped Hotch sit up and he looked at her appreciatively.

"When can we see him?" Emily asked excitedly.

"I'll have the nurses transport him to the ICU. He'll be placed in the room right next to this one shortly," Dr. Stein dipped his head and quietly exited the Hotch's hospital room.

"That's great news," Rossi smiled, "looks like we'll all end up okay after all."

"We want to thank you all for your hard, diligent work on locating us," Hotch looked to Rossi and JJ in turn.

"Definitely," Emily nodded, "along with Garcia."

"That reminds me," Derek furrowed his brows, "Where is Penelope?"

"DEREK!"

As if on cue, a familiar female voice screeched down the hallway.

"Oh Lord," Morgan laughed, "come hell or high water, Penelope Garcia will find a way."  
A colorful outfit came barreling down the corner. Sure enough, the BAU's genius tech analyst burst into Hotch's hospital room. Her panicked eyes looked from Prentiss to Morgan to Hotch.

Finally, she zeroed in on Derek.

"What on God's green Earth are you doing _out of bed?_!" Garcia scoffed.

"Baby girl, please-"

"Don't you 'baby girl' me, sweetheart!" she shouted, "you are finding a bed right now and resting! The doctor told me you had a concussion, and I will not let you disturb that beautiful brain of yours any further!"

She moved forward and rushed Morgan. He smiled and hugged her tightly. Garcia hugged back so tight it looked like she was going to suffocate him.

"Come on," she grabbed his hand, "we're going back to your room so I can scold you further."

"Good luck," JJ joked under her breath.

"Prentiss, Hotch," Garcia looked over her shoulder, "don't think you two are free. I'll be back!"

"Oh, great," Hotch muttered.

Derek and Garcia exited. JJ offered to take Emily back to her hospital room so she could rest too. It was late and Prentiss was trying to stifle a yawn. She thanked JJ and bid Rossi and Hotch a good night.

Hotch sighed and lay his head back on the pillow.

Rossi pulled up a chair from the side and sat next to Hotch's bedside.

"So," Rossi raised a brow and looked to Hotch, "what's the real story?"

"Excuse me?"

"Come on, you can't expect a group of profilers to believe that weak story you gave us. You have the sharpness of a hawk, Hotch, there's no way you can't remember because of the explosion. So, what really happened?"

Hotch smirked and exhaled, "I really am not a very good liar, huh?"

"Unfortunately not."

"The unsub started to explain himself to Reid and I," Hotch recounted truthfully, "he begged me to leave him and have him die from the explosives. So, I did."

"I see," Rossi nodded, appreciating his candidness, "and what made you do it? Mercy?"

"Guilt," Hotch admitted.

"The unsub really did get to you, Aaron. He made this whole, elaborate scheme for you. By kidnapping and torturing the others, he was trying to hurt you."

"David, I've spent many years putting bad people away," Hotch looked away, "and each person we catch, that affects dozens of others, good and bad. So, yes, I've thought about how one might come back to haunt us. This was it. He couldn't hurt me, he was too broken."

"But after everything he did to you," Rossi shook his head, trying to understand, "you let him get what he wanted. Most people would want revenge."

"If I sought revenge from everyone who wronged me, I would become one of the unsubs we catch everyday. It was the least I could do," Hotch's face hardened, "Besides, it's over now. The unsub died from the explosion as Reid and I tried to escape. The report is official."

"Of course," David dipped his head, putting the issue to rest, "get some rest, Hotch, you look beat."

"Thank you, Rossi," Hotch nodded gratefully as he lay more comfortably in the bed, "please notify me when Reid is brought next door."

"Sure thing," Rossi agreed as he dimmed the lights. Agent Hotchner closed his eyes and fell asleep in seconds. David closed the door gently, wanting to give his boss his privacy.

Rossi approached the nurse's desk. It was late, nearly 2:30 AM. The hospital lights were dim and nurses and orderlies walked around quietly.

A few minutes later, three nurses began to wheel a hospital bed down the hall. Rossi already knew who would be in it before he got a look. He approached it quickly, helping the nurses navigate the bed into the empty room next to Hotch's.

"How's he doing?" David asked, stealing a glance at the young man in the bed.

"He's out like a log," one of the nurses huffed as the others began to hook Reid up to the machinery, "he'll sleep for a while, but we'll be monitoring closely to make sure his temperature doesn't dip again."

"Got it. Anything I can do?"

"You can stay with him if you want," the nurse shrugged, "we'll be in and out, don't know how restful that'll be."

"I'll manage," Rossi assured as the three nurses finished wiring the machinery and administering the medications. They exited quietly. Rossi took a seat on the couch and put his legs up on the cushion. He watched Reid in the dark, eyeing the heart monitors closely.

 _They're safe,_ Rossi thought to himself as his breathing slowed and he began to feel sleep creep up on him, _they're safe now._


	16. Chapter 16

**I updated this a few days ago but did some maintenance on it! Thank you for those who PMed me to correct me on some mistakes! Hope this is better and has more continuity! Leave me a fav/follow/review to let me know what you think!**

Reid slowly felt himself come to. He squinted against the light and heard voices reach his ears. They were familiar voices.

"Hey, he's he's waking up!"

That sounded like Prentiss.

"Look who decided to rejoin the land of the living."

Definitely Morgan.

"Reid?" a soft, kind voice called his name, "can can you hear us?"

He urged his eyes open. Fuzzy figures met his blurry vision, but he could make out JJ's bright blonde hair right in front of him.

"He might still be a little incoherent," a man in a long white coat, presumably the doctor, said. He flashed a light in Reid's eye. Reid flinched slightly from the piercing light, "his pupilary response seems to be good. Just give him a few minutes to regain his bearings, he's been out for three days."

 _Three days!?_ Reid thought incredulously.

"Thanks, doc," Morgan shook his hand. The doctor walked out of the room swiftly.

"Reid," Emily came up on his left, "are you okay? You look a lot better."

Reid shook his head, trying to shake away the last of his grogginess.

He opened his mouth to speak, but no voice came out at first. He cleared his sore throat painfully, and tried again.

"Y-yeah," he tried to shift his body to sit upright, "I-I think I'm okay."

"You had us all worried sick, kid," Morgan shook his head, but smiled, "but I'm glad to see you no less."

"Thanks," he smirked crookedly. He looked at JJ, "wh-where am I? What happened?"

"Well," JJ sat at the edge of the bed, "there was an explosion. Rescue teams found you and Hotch at the bottom of a duct. They pulled you two out and rushed you guys to the hospital. It was a close call, both of you arrived in critical condition. The doctors worked on you for a few hours, trying to get your temperature back up. You were nearly hypothermic."

"R-really?" he gawked, "I didn't think it was that bad...and Hotch? How is he?"

"Fine," Prentiss responded, "he's right next door, though he's not too happy to still be here."

"I-I've been here for three days?" Reid asked.

Derek nodded, "They had you pumped full of meds until your body levels normalized again. They thought it would be easier if you were sleeping, less painful."

Reid nodded, rubbing the back of his neck uneasily, "And the unsub…?"

"Dead," JJ confirmed, "autopsy results came back. The explosion killed him while he was trying to escape, nothing suspect occurred before."

"Right, of course," Reid's eyes turned the floor. He, Hotch, and the unsub knew the real version of the events, "can I see Hotch?"

"I don't think that's a good idea," JJ pursed her lips, "you just woke up, Reid, you should rest."

"Nonsense-" he demanded, swinging his legs out of the bed and trying to spryly gain his footing, "I think I can manage-"

A severe bout of dizziness struck him like lightning. His vision grew black and spotty, and Reid felt himself careening to the floor.

"Whoa!" Derek surged forward and caught Reid before he collided with the ground. Morgan felt his concussion pain flare through his head, but he ignored it, "someone get the doctor!"  
Prentiss went rushing out the door as JJ helped Morgan stabilize Reid.

"Reid?!" JJ asked, panicked, "What happened?! Are you okay!?"

Emily and the doctor came running inside. Dr. Stein took JJ's place and helped drape Reid back in the bed.

"Whoa….," Reid felt his head turning still, "I-I thought I was back to normal, you said my immune levels stabilized."

"Yes, but you've been unconscious for three days," Dr. Stein responded, "that takes a toll on a body. Please stay in bed, Dr. Reid," he looked at the others, "make sure he does. I'll have a nurse come back in a few minutes to check back in."

"Thank you, doctor," Prentiss dipped her head in gratitude as Dr. Stein went to tend to other patients.

"I'm about to handcuff you to the bed," Morgan sighed heavily, releasing his sudden worry, "quit scaring me like that, kid."

"Didn't mean it…," Reid mumbled, though it looked like a ghost of a smile played at his lips.

"Yeah, sure," Derek rolled his eyes playfully.

JJ felt a grin spread across her lips.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

 _Boys will be boys._

" _You aren't going to do it?" the unsub pressed, "You aren't going to kill me?"_

" _No, because that's exactly what you want."_

" _Live or die, I don't care. I'm lost inside either way."_

 _Hotch took the bait, "Why are you doing this? What vendetta do you have against us?"_

" _Agent Hotchner, you were listening. You are the bane of my existence, the cause of my eternal pain. My brother is dead because of you."_

" _Your brother?"_

" _You killed him yourself. You don't remember."_

" _No, I-"_

" _What? You've killed too many you've lost count? Let that sink in, Agent Hotchner, to know your hands are just as dirty as the rest of us."_

 _Hotch felt a dark silence come over him._

" _Yes, that's it," the unsub smiled behind his mask as he unshielded a small pocket knife in his hand, "dwell on the lives who have fallen by your hand."_

 _The unsub angled the knife so the blade was sticking towards Hotch's body._

" _You lead a team like you're heroes," the unsub's teasing town became tinged with malice, "when you're murderers all the same!"_

 _He reared his hand back and drove the knife's blade towards Hotch's ribs._

"Aaron!"

Hotch's eyes shot open. He instinctively reared his hands back as defense. David Rossi stood before him, eyes filled with concern. Hotch looked around; he was in a hospital bed in the ICU. A cold sweat beaded his forehead and his breathing was quick and panicked.

"R-Rossi?"

"Hotch, are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," he tried to slow his breathing and didn't meet Rossi's eye, "just a dream."

"More like a nightmare," Rossi's brows furrowed.

"It was nothing."

"Hotch, I was watching the whole thing. That wasn't nothing."

The BAU leader changed the subject, "How's Reid?"

"Awake," Rossi's voice was still crisp, wanting to know more about Hotch's nightmare.

"Good, that's good," Hotch looked to the far wall.

"Aaron."

"Forget it, Rossi."

"It helps if you talk about it."

"I said _forget it,"_ Hotch said more forcefully.

David sighed in frustration, but did as he was told. Silence lapsed between them for a few seconds before a knock came at the door.

Penelope entered, carrying a cafeteria tray in her hands.

"Jell-o anyone?" she said cheerfully.

Rossi looked at her, an amused eyebrow raised, "That's very kind of you to ask, Garcia. I think Hotch would like a cup of jell-o."

Penelope happily placed a small clear cup with the sticky red substance before Hotch. He looked at his interestingly.

"Did you hear Reid was awake, sir?" she said as she opened the blinds.

"Yes, I did," he nodded, poking at the jell-o with his spoon, "how is he doing?"

"Not bad, he's been anxious to get out of bed. Already collapsed on his first try."

"I know how he feels," Hotch huffed.

Rossi shook his head.

"And you, sir?" Garcia looked at him innocently, "how are you doing?"

David's eyes met Hotch's.

"I'm doing well, Garcia. Nothing to note."

Rossi scoffed.

Garcia felt the tension pass between them, "Really?"

"Really," Hotch said a little too quickly.

"Okay," Penelope held her hands in surrender, "well, Dr. Stein says you should be okay to check out in a few more days, along with Reid."

"Finally," Hotch sighed in relief, "I've been itching to get back to the office."

"Don't put all hands on deck yet there, Hotch," Rossi warned, "are you sure you're ready?"

"Of course," he demanded, eyes turning hard, "why wouldn't I be?"

"It's company policy that you undergo a psychological evaluation before you return. I just want you to be ready for that."

"I assure you I am," he said with a hard tone.

Garcia stayed very silent in the corner. Rossi looked at Hotch with concern, but turned away after his boss' intense glare.

"Okay," David muttered.

"I'd like some time alone please," Hotch asked, "to gather my thoughts."

Garcia dipped her head and walked quickly out of the room. She didn't know what happened before she entered the Hotch's room, but she was eager to escape. Penelope strutted swiftly down the hall, looking for Derek.

Rossi waited a moment before gathering himself and preparing to leave. Hotch didn't say a word or meet his eye. David knew that Hotch was their leader and he didn't want to see vulnerable, but Rossi had a dark feeling within him that Hotch's nightmares were only going to get worse…

"Let me know if you need anything," Rossi said before he exited.

He dipped his head and walked out of Hotch's hospital room.

 **FOUR DAYS LATER**

"Rise and shine, sleepy head!"

Reid cringed against the invading sunlight from the window as Derek yanked open the blinds.

"No….," he groaned, turning his head away.

"Come on, Reid, it's time to get out of here! Doctor gave you the all clear," Morgan was _way_ too cheerful for this early hour.

"I'm up," Reid said, though it was muffled through his pillow.

"I've got your clothes right here," Derek placed a fresh new outfit for Reid on the side of the bed, "come on, let me help you get up. You can change in the bathroom."

"Morgan, as much as I appreciate your help," Reid said in a deadpan voice, "these hospital gowns are pretty revealing in the back. There is no way I am allowing myself to stand in front of anyone, much less you."

"Oh come _on,_ Reid," Derek rolled his eyes amusingly and he smiled, "just suck it up, I'll look away."

"Don't take it personally when I tell you that I'm not exactly reassured," Reid raised a brow.

"Fine, have it your way," Morgan cracked a smile, "I'll go call a nurse and she'll help you. JJ and Rossi are pulling up the car soon, Prentiss is helping Hotch, and I'm tasked with you, so let's get shakin!"

Morgan clapped enthusiastically as he exited the room, looking for a nurse to help Reid. Spencer tried to shake off his exhaustion. He was excited and ready to return home. He wanted to sleep in his own bed in the comfort of his own home. It felt like and eternity since he last was granted that pleasure.

A young nurse entered the room. She helped Reid detach from all his monitors and medications. He placed an arm around her shoulder and she helped him get shakily to his feet. The experienced nurse led him to the bathroom, and she handed him his change of clothes. Reid looked at himself in the mirror for the first time in days.

His face looked gaunt and skeletal, but he looked fuller than before. Color returned to his cheeks and he was able to eat and drink without the assistance of medication. His hair was a matted mess, he desperately needed a shower. His body was covered in scrapes from when the shattered glass cut his skin after his trial, but they were scabbed over.

 _It's okay, they're just physical wounds. They'll heal._

Reid took his time dressing into his familiar clothes. It was like he was putting his identity back on, feeling comfortable and safe for the first time in a long while.

There was a soft knock at the door, "Reid?" Morgan called.

"Yeah," he answered in a hoarse voice.

Derek opened the door and looked Reid up and down with a smile, "Now there's the kid I know and love," it was good to see Reid back on his feet, in his usual clothes, with his usual geekish charm, "come on, JJ and Rossi have the car ready to go."

"And Hotch?" Reid asked as he walked outside and took his plastic bag of belongings from Derek.

"He checked out early this morning rapparently," Morgan look to the floor, "Prentiss went to his room, but he had already packed his things and left."

"Alone?"

"I guess so," Derek sighed, "anyway, I got you one of these." Morgan gestured to the hallway.  
Reid looked outside the room, and parked in the hall was a wheelchair.

"Oh gosh…," he said in a sarcastic voice, "you shouldn't have…"

"Don't mention it," Morgan clapped his shoulder, "get in, let's get out of here."

Derek happily pushed the tired but content Reid down the hallways of the hospital. They entered an elevator car and prepared to descend to the bottom floor. Reid rested his head against his hand, allowing Derek to navigate him out of the facility.

He was looking forward to the drive in the SUV, that way he could rest a little for the long drive back home. In a few days he could return to work feeling much healthier.

Reid felt himself beginning to nod off…

" _You are a pawn, Dr. Reid, a soldier who carries out orders under a dictatorial system. Your team is the very bane of my existence, the cause of my eternal pain. You must be cleansed, you must be taught, you must be reborn."_

His eyes shot open and he gasped. His hands clenched the armrests in fear and he looked around wildly.

"Whoa, whoa!" Morgan veered the wheelchair to a stop, "Reid, hey, are you okay?!"

"Wha-?" Reid stammered, looking around an letting reality sink in, "Oh, um, yeah...just, it-it was nothing."

"Are you sure, man?" Derek look at him with concern, "something really spooked you."

"No, I'm good," he cleared his throat, "let's just get to the car."

Derek looked him over for a moment, wanting to know more, but Reid looked beat. He elected to bring up the matter later and let his friend rest for now. Morgan wheeled him the rest of the way, staying alert and observing his friend's behavior. Reid seemed better, though he wasn't letting himself fall asleep anymore.

Reid and Hotch were going to return to work tomorrow, Derek remembered. He hoped they were going to be ready….

They arrived to the cars. Reid pulled himself out of the chair and into the backseat. He wore his black sunglasses and didn't speak. JJ sat next to him, looking at him curiously. Prentiss took the passenger seat. The heavy gauze that was wrapped around her wrists and ankles were reduced to thinner bandages because the doctor informed them she was healing nicely.

Rossi was the last to approach. Morgan needed to talk to someone, so he met the older FBI agent halfway.

"Hey, Rossi," Derek caught up to him, "look, something weird just happened with Reid on the way down."

"Yeah?"

"I was wheeling him downstairs and he just jumped, panicking. It was like someone scared him bad."

Rossi's eyes grew cloudy, "Was he sleeping when this happened?"

"I can't say for sure," Morgan shook his head, "You think it's a nightmare? A form of PTSD?"

"I don't know," Rossi sighed, "but I know the same thing happened to Hotch."

"What?" Derek gawked.

"He won't admit it, but I saw it."

"Why'd he check out early?" Derek asked.

"I can't say," Rossi shrugged, "he just wanted to be alone for the last few days, I haven't really spoken to him since it happened."

"So you don't know if this is a recurring event," Derek exhaled sharply, "damn, it's like we can't catch a break."  
"Not with this job," Rossi closed his eyes, "stay close to Reid tonight and monitor his behavior. I'm going to set up psych evals for both of them. Either way, it's company policy."

"Okay," Morgan nodded and he opened the door to the backseat as Rossi approached the driver's side, "thank you."

Rossi settled in the driver's seat and looked down at the steering wheel for a moment. Prentiss looked over and eyed him curiously.

"Rossi, you okay?"

"Yeah," he put on a smile, "just preparing myself for the drive."

"I promise I'm good company," she smirked.

"I believe it," he started the ignition and peeled away from the hospital parking lot. Rossi looked through the rear view mirror. JJ was sleeping, her head rested against the door. Reid was crammed in the middle. He looked to be deep in thought, twiddling his thumbs idly. Derek sat on the other side of him, eyeing him with concern from time to time.

Rossi's gaze went back to the road before him. He didn't want to call Hotch yet, he wanted to give the man his privacy first. Hotch knew what was best for him, he was a grown man and he wasn't going to listen to Rossi. He'd stop by his apartment later and check on him. JJ was going to stay with Prentiss, and Reid and Morgan were going to stay together.

David hoped the team would recover, but they always did. They were stronger together, and they would overcome whatever they were about to face.

 **Chapter 17 coming soon!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Here's the next chapter! Enjoy! Leave me a fav/follow/review to let me know what you think!**

Rossi walked into the BAU office. It was late, nearly midnight, but he wasn't ready to go home. He had been away from his desk for days now, and he wanted to review his files and facts before he could comfortably return home. The agent made his rounds beforehand.

First, he dropped Prentiss off at her home. JJ exited with her, electing to spend the night and to have Will stay with Henry. Emily needed to change her gauze and reapply her burn creme, and JJ was more than glad to assist. They disappeared through the front door of Emily's home.

Next, was Morgan and Reid. Rossi looked in the rearview mirror occasionally, eyeing the two. Derek was knocked out. He was being careful of his concussion, taking medication, and trying to keep positive for the sake of the team. By staying optimistic, he was hoping the team would bounce back quicker. However, this came at a price.

Morgan was so busy worrying about his teammates, that he wasn't resting properly. He needed lots of recuperation time with a concussion, it was a serious medical injury if left umproperly treated. He would also need a physical and psychological evaluation before returning to work, and that was going to follow some recovery time.

Reid acknowledged this as well, trying to give his friend enough room to sleep comfortably. A marching band could pass by, and Derek would still be out like a log.

The young doctor, on the other hand, wasn't allowing himself to rest. He was probably still wary after his brief episode in the wheelchair.

 _I just need the familiarity of my own home, bed, and lifestyle again. Then I'll be right back to normal._

"How are you doing back there?" Rossi asked as they continued their drive to Spencer's home.

"Fine," he answered. It was the first time he spoke in a while.

A moment of silence lapsed between them.

"Hey, Rossi?"

"Yeah, Reid?"

"Did my mother know I was kidnapped?"

"No," Rossi sighed, "we opted not to tell her, not to worry her...for her own sake."

"Good," Reid nodded, "good thinking."

"You're going to be okay, kid."

Reid smirked, "I hope so."

"I know so."

Another moment of silence.

"So, no chance of Morgan waking up anytime soon, eh?" David smiled.

"I don't know who's going to be watching who tonight," Reid responded, amused, "take the next left."

David did as he was told, "Anything you want to get off your chest, Reid? You look a little distracted."

Reid was not Hotch, Reid wasn't guarded or trying to preserve his pride. He was young and he trusted Rossi's advice. He exhaled deeply, considering the offer, then spoke.

"I-I hear the unsub in my head," Reid admitted, "When I close my eyes, I can hear his voice speaking to me. It's common with any traumatic situation, we see it in our victims all the time. I know it's not real and I know it's a response of my body after the whole ordeal, but-but I just didn't think…"

"That it'd ever happen to you," Rossi nodded in understanding, "there's no need to be ashamed of that, Reid, everyone feels that way. You think you can outrun it or fight it, but sometimes you can't. It'll take some time to heal, it's been less than a week since we found you all. Don't expect to jump back onto your feet right off the bat, okay? I'll be there every step of the way if you need me."

"Thank you again," Spencer met David's eyes through the rearview mirror, "I don't know where we'd be without you, Rossi."

"No problem, kid," he dipped his head, "do me a favor and let me know if you experience anymore of these episodes, okay? You're already being proactive. Talking about it helps, and by tracking it we can tackle the problem head on."

"Alright," Reid nodded, making a mental note, "I'll let you know what happens tonight."

"Morgan is staying with you, you two keep an eye on each other now," Rossi raised a brow, "he's going to want to play hero, but Derek needs his rest too. Make sure he does."

"Will do," Spencer smiled as Rossi came to a stop in front of his house. The young doctor shook Morgan's shoulder until he startled awake. He looked around blearily for a moment before recognizing his surroundings and stumbling out of the car. Rossi helped the, with their belongings as Reid unlocked his house door. Once he was sure they were settled, David returned to his car.

He took the familiar road back to the BAU office. Rossi entered the empty building - nearly empty building.

There was a light on in Hotch's office.

David approached carefully, hand on the gun in his belt as a precaution.

He rounded the corner and entered the room, seeing his boss behind his desk in his office.

"Hotch?" his mouth dropped.

"Evening, David."

The BAU leader was clad in a navy blue sweater with black sweats and running shoes. His right arm was in a sling, and his left thumb was in a brace. Stitches marked his temple.

"What are you doing here at this time of night?" Rossi took careful steps forward, "You should be at home, Hotch, in bed resting, with Jack."

"Jack is okay, he's with his aunt," Hotch looked at Rossi with a hard stare, "and I am feeling fine. I know what I need."

"Apparently not!" Rossi said with outrage, "Hotch, what are you doing to yourself? Pretending your fine doesn't actually mean it'll happen. It's okay to ask for help when you need it."

"I don't need it."

"Right," Rossi narrowed his eyes, "because you're just invincible. When are you going to wake up and smell the roses, Hotch? You had a nightmare, it's common after a traumautic experience, and I am not going to let you act like it didn't happen."

"That's not your call to make, Rossi."

"Well, I just made it."

A tense silence lapsed between them. Hotch was exhausted. He checked out early this morning to avoid this very confrontation with Rossi, but here he was.

"I'll drive you home, Hotch," David offered, "don't make me call Garcia."

A small smirk spread across Hotch's lips. He sighed and put his papers down, standing up and pushing in his chair.

"Just this once, David."

"Trust me," Rossi raised a brow, "I hope it doesn't happen again."

Hotch filed out of his office, past Rossi. David turned off the lights and closed the door. They walked past the empty offices and towards the elevator.

"What made you come here, Hotch?"

The BAU leader turned to face him, "I just wanted some familiarity," he admitted, "to feel like things were normal again. It helps me cope."

Rossi nodded in understanding, "Nobody blames you, Hotch. You did good, you got everyone out alive and okay."

Hotch nodded and stumbled a little getting into the elevator. His head was pounding like crazy from the wound on his temple. Rossi gripped his shoulders and steadied him. He stayed near as the elevator car descended to the bottom floor, taking both agents with it.

"Come on, let's get you in the car," Rossi said as he led Hotch out of the elevator, "you look like you're going to drop any second."

Hotch nodded shakily. A cold sweat beaded his forehead and he was grateful when he finally got to sit down in the passenger seat. Rossi took the opposite chair on the driver's side and turned the key in the ignition.

"Relax," David advised, "get some rest on the way, we've got a bit of a drive."

Hotch dipped his head in gratitude, "How are the rest of the team?"

"Good," Rossi answered as he reversed the car, "JJ is staying with Prentiss and Morgan is staying with Reid."

The BAU leader let his forehead rest against the glass window as Rossi began to drive slowly through the parking lot. His eyelids were growing heavy and his breathing was deepening…

A man in all black wearing a gas mask with yellow eyes glared at him from outside the window in the lot.

Hotch's eyes shot open and he sat up swiftly. His breathing accelerated from panic, but he tried to calm himself. When he looked out the window again, there was no man. It was just a trick of his mind.

Hotch looked around and noticed the area was the exact place the unsub attacked him last week. The BAU parking lot.

He turned, facing the road. Hotch no longer felt like sleeping.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"There we go," JJ smiled as she finished reapplying the burn ointment on Prentiss' wrist. She wrapped the wound up gingerly, just as the nurse instructed, "better?"

"Definitely," Prentiss grinned, "thank you, JJ, I don't know what we'd do without you."

"Don't mention it," she responded warmly, "it's late, we should get to sleep."

"It's going to be so nice to sleep in my own bed," Prentiss laughed with relief, "I've been dreaming of this day."

"I don't blame you," JJ smirked, "here, I'll help you up."

"Actually, I got it," Prentiss beamed. She was able to stand up by herself, a sign of healthy recovery, "I couldn't do that a few days ago. Those doctors really work miracles."

"Tell me about it," JJ nodded, walking with Emily down the hall to the bedroom.

"I've got an extra pair of pajamas in the drawer," Prentiss called as she headed for the restroom, "feel free to use it."

"Thank you!"

Prentiss smiled as she closed the door to the bathroom. She was so grateful JJ was staying with her. Truth be told, Emily would've felt nervous staying home alone. She'd feel like she was back in that cell, with the acid slowly creeping up on her, the unsub teasing her death. JJ was like the light at the end of the tunnel. She was bright and intuitive, always seeming to know what she needed before she actually did. Her presence made her feel less lonely and scared, made her feel more at home.

Emily splashed water on her face and quickly brushed up. When she exited, JJ was there, wearing Prentiss' spare pajamas.

"Are you okay?" JJ asked.

"Yeah," she smiled truthfully, "feeling a lot better actually. I actually wanted to tell you something, JJ."

"Of course, anything."

"I wanted to say that I really appreciate you staying here with me tonight and for everything you did to get us back. I sincerely mean it when I tell you that the BAU would be lot without you. You're what makes us keep moving, JJ, you're the heart of the team. So, just thank you for the incredible efforts you put in to keep us motivated. It's been an honor and a pleasure."

"Oh, Emily," JJ's voice cracked with emotion. She reached in for a hug and Emily gladly accepted, "you're too kind."

They pulled away and Emily felt tears start to well up in her eyes too.

"I-I actually wanted to tell you something too, Emily."

"Yeah, sure, what is it?"

"During the course of the investigation, Garcia found out that the unsub was initially supposed to kidnap me, but when I received a call from Will, he didn't want to expose himself. Instead, he took you, Emily, and I am so sorry that that ever happened to you. There are no words to express-"

"JJ," Emily smiled gratefully, "you don't need to apologize to me about anything. There was nothing you or I could have done to stop the unsub from doing what he did, and believe me when I say that the last person I'm going to blame for any of this is you."

The women embraced again, happy to unload their burdens and finally speak to each other. A few more minutes passed until both agents felt exhaustion creep up on them. They turned off the lights and got under the covers. Prentiss was wary of her injuries, not wanting to disturb them in her sleep.

She heard JJ's breathing grow slow and deep next to her. She felt safe and comfortable in her own home. She wasn't trapped in a cell fighting for her life from a psychopath. Her friends were fine, she was fine, everything was going to be fine.

 _Emily…._

Prentiss felt her breath hitch in her chest and her eyes shot open. The unsub's cold, snake-like voice echoed through her ears.

 _This is going to be a long night…_

 ** _Next chapter coming soon! Let me know what you want to see in these next few chapters before he come to our conclusion! Thank you!_**


	18. Chapter 18

Hello, everyone! Thank you to all of my favorites/followers/reviewers! We've made it to the last chapter! I appreciate all of the love for this story, and I hope you all enjoyed it! Take a look at my other stories if you're interested! Leave me a fav/follow/review to let me know what you though of the story! Till the next one! ~themodernteen

 **THREE WEEKS LATER**

"Good morning, Agent Morgan, my name is Dr. Johnson, I'm going to conduct your psychological evaluation this morning. Answer honestly and to the best of your ability. Based on your answers, I will deem if your are or aren't fit enough to return to work at the Behavioral Analysis Unit."

"Let's get started, doc," Morgan nodded, resting back in his chair.

"Very well, let us begin," Dr. Johnson shuffled his papers and began his questioning, "Where did you grow up?"

"Chicago, with my sisters and mom."

"What is your specialization in the BAU?"

"Fixations and obsessive behaviors."

"What happened three weeks ago, Derek?"

Morgan took a deep breath and looked to the floor, "Agents Hotchner, Prentiss, Reid, and myself were kidnapped by a psychotic unsub with a power complex in the BAU parking lot."

"How does that make you feel knowing that you were able to attack on company grounds?"

Derek looked at Dr. Johnson with a hard glare, "It makes me angry."

"Angry?" the psychiatrist noted something down, "Interesting."

"Is that wrong?"

"Not at all, it's how you feel," Dr. Johnson replied calmly, "most people would feel scared or threatened. Feeling angry is less common."

"What does that mean?" Derek furrowed his brows.

"Nothing as of now," Dr. Johnson looked at him behind his glasses, "let's continue, shall we?"'

0o0o0o

"Of course," Reid nodded, eyeing the corners of the room warily. It reminded him a lot of the cell he was trapped in with the others weeks ago…

"What happened once you were all taken?"

"We woke up in a cell. There were no accessible exit points and no contact from the unsub. He administed a knockout gas and began a series of trials for the purpose of 'cleansing.'"

"Cleansing," Dr. Johnson wrote another note on his clipboard, "you were the first victim taken for one of the trials, correct?"

 _Victim._

Reid didn't like being referred as a victim, he never really thought of it like that before…

The young doctor shuffled nervously in his chair. Dr. Johnson eyed him warily.

"Are you alright, Dr. Reid?"

"Me? Y-yes, I'm fine," he cleared his throat, "um, back to the question, yes I was the first...victim."

"Thank you. What did your trial consist of?"

"I-I was trapped in a large glass tank," he recalled. His gaze grew distant as he remembered the ordeal, "and water started to fill it. I didn't know what was happening or what the unsub wanted, he never communicated with me. I thought I was going to die…"

"And how did you escape, Dr. Reid?"

"Morgan, Hotch, and Prentiss," he answered, "they were in a separate cell. The unsub gave them a challenge. If they failed to complete it, I would die. He followed the same procedure with Emily."

"I see," Dr. Johnson moved to the next topic, "from the victim accounts, it seems that you were in particularly poor health for the duration of your ordeal, Dr. Reid, care to elaborate?"

"On what?" he laughed nervously, "I don't know, my body became weak due to the conditions of the environment. I-I don't know what else to tell you."

"Alright, just calm down, Dr. Reid."

"Calm down? I am calm, I'm perfectly calm. There's no need for me to calm down."

Dr. Johnson looked at Reid from behind his glasses and jotted more notes on his clipboard.

0o0o0o

"Ms. Prentiss, can you tell me what happened next?"

"Sure," she rubbed her pants with clammy pants, "once we passed his challenge, the unsub brought Reid back into the cell. Within minutes, he administered the knockout gas again and took me to commence the second trial."

"Can you describe your trial?"

"Yes," she gulped, "I was in an empty cell, alone. A liquid started to pour of out a drain in the corner, and I realized it was acid."

"Is that how you got those burns on your wrists?" he observed the gauze around her limbs.

"Uh, yeah…," she rubbed her wounds instinctively.

"And he left you to die unless Agents Reid, Hotchner, and Morgan completed a challenge on their own."

"Yes."

"But there was a complication with your trial, correct?"

She nodded softly, "Apparently the others upset the unsub and he didn't allow them to complete their challenge, therefore leaving me to die."

"Then how did you escape?"

0o0o0o

"I offered my life in exchange for Emily's," Hotch said sternly.

"That's very admirable of you, Agent Hotchner, what prompted you to do this?"

Hotch's eyebrows furrowed, "Agent Prentiss is my teammate, I'd gladly offer myself like that anytime for any one of them."

"Noted," Dr. Johnson nodded, "Can you explain what happened next?"

"I was taken from the cell. When I woke up, I was handcuffed to the chair. A few minutes passed before the unsub entered with a seemingly unconscious Dr. Reid. Little to my knowledge, Reid was pretending to be in this state and ultimately assisted me in our escape. We ran straight for the control room where Reid would attempt to free Agents Morgan and Prentiss."

"A daring escape attempt. Did the unidentified subject intervene during it?"

"Yes, quite a few times," Hotch nodded curtly, "I left Reid in the control room to buy him time from the unsub. I found Agent Morgan in an altercation with the unsub. We both detained him. At that moment, I ordered Agent Morgan to take Agent Prentiss to the surface to get help."

"And you held him all by yourself?"

"Yes, briefly, until Dr. Reid arrived and assisted me."

"Assisted you? Were you unable to handle the unsub yourself?"

"Unfortuntately not, the unsub-"

Hotch stopped short.

"What is it, Agent Hotchner?"

"The unsub...got in my head. I grew distracted."

"What did he say to you?"

"I can't remember," his jaw clenched.

"Hmm," Dr. Johnson raised a quizzical brow and noted this observation on his clipboard.

"Doctor," Hotch exhaled sharply, "I have been away from my desk for nearly a month, I have a great deal of work to get to. Is there any way we can speed this along?"

"No."

Hotch sighed with irritation and sat back in his chair. He figured not.

"Tell me about the explosion?"

0o0o0o

"I don't have much to say," Morgan started, "only that the blast knocked me off my feet. I was thrown to the ground, hit my head. That earned me a severe concussion."

0o0o0o

"Anything to note about the explosion, Dr. Reid?"

"I was leaving the control room to go and find Hotch when I heard this sound. I followed it to the boiler room, where the unsub had oxygen tanks and flammable liquid prepped and ready to blow. I knew he planted the explosives, so I had to go warn Hotch."

0o0o0o

"Now, this is where things grow slightly complicated," Dr. Johnson looked away from Hotch and to his notes, "it says here that you and Dr. Reid escaped and the unsub perished in the explosion. Can you elaborate?"

"Dr. Reid came and warned me there was an explosion imminent, and we ran as far and as fast as we could. We found the side duct, there was a blast, then everything went black."

"Yes, but did the unsub just let you go?"

"No."

"Then how did you escape?"

"I can't-"

"-remember, right," the doctor looked at him, unconvinced.

0o0o0o

"Are you experiencing any lasting effects, such as hallucinations, flashbacks, or nightmares?"

"No," Prentiss lied.

"No," Morgan lied.

"No," Reid lied.

"No," Hotch lied.

"How do you feel now?"

"Good," Prentiss nodded, but her brows were furrowed questioningly.

"Good, I guess," Morgan shrugged.

"Good," Reid said with a fake smile, "very good."

"Fine," Hotch responded sharply.

Dr. Johnson wrote notes down on his clipboard again.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"So, what is your recommendation, Dr. Johnson?" Rossi looked at him expectantly, "how did the evaluation go?"

They were alone now in Rossi's office, where the doctor would explain his findings from the psychological assessments.

"All four of them seem to be physically alright, they were cleared."

"But…?"

"They speak honestly up until the point of the explosion," Dr. Johnson explained, "and that falls directly to Agent Hotchner and Dr. Reid."

"Those are details that we can look past for now," Rossi pressed, "but psychologically, what does that mean?"

"They're guarded and not ready to discuss the events thoroughly yet, I don't blame them. When they do, it'll be to the ones that they trust, nobody else. Be ready to listen when that occurs."

"Absolutely," Rossi nodded firmly, "Doctor, what if some of them experience post traumautic symptoms...like nightmares for example?"

"Unfortunately there's no medication that can cure that," Dr. Johnson sighed, "only by discussing the root of the problem. It's natural for one to have such symptoms following an experience like this one."

"I see," Rossi nodded, "but other than that, they're okay to return to work?"

"Yes, but keep an eye on Agent Hotchner. I have a feeling he's going to need you sooner rather than later."

"Got it, thank you, doc."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Reid…? Reid!"

"Wha-?" the young doctor jolted back to reality, looking around him as somebody called his name. It was JJ, "Oh, yeah, JJ?"

She furrowed her brows, "Are you okay? You were in another world for a second there."

"Yeah, just trying to get acclimated again," he said the first thing he could scramble together, "what do you need?"

"I was wondering if you had a chance to check my email?" she asked, "about the rape statistics and its connection to sexual sadists?"

"Right," he nodded, gulping nervously, "No, I haven't had a chance yet. I'll get right on it."

"Thank you," she called as she walked back towards her office.

Truth was, Reid did see the email. He opened the attachments, read the various statistics about violent unsubs, and couldn't read on. His mind was out of focus, he felt dull and slow.

Reid kept noticing that Morgan jumped at every loud sound. A heavy door closing, somebody dropping a folder, the clanging of the coffee mugs in the sink. Derek was startled at every one of them.

Prentiss almost had a panic attack at the coffee machine this morning. She was filling up her mug, but she noticed there was no more water in the machine. When she turned the faucet on, she was instantly transported to the though of the acid rising from the drain in the floor. She grew pale as a ghost and her breathing hitched rapidly. She hadn't left her desk since then.

They were all affected in some shape or form, this was going to be more difficult than expected. Reid didn't know how Hotch was feeling or if he was experiencing any side effects, but Rossi was keeping a very close eye. The experienced agent would walk into Hotch's office often, making up excuses or just to ask simple questions. Meanwhile, David would be analyzing Hotch's behavior.

Rossi already noticed some side effects in them, their nightmares, their visions in the day, and their jumpy demeanors. Of course, this was natural. They had all been kidnapped on these very grounds, a location they believed they were safe in. Coming back to that spot and being in that environment was very condescending.

Rossi had it, he needed to address this. No work was getting done, and he was tired of seeing his friends in this state.

"Conference room, five minutes," Rossi called.

Morgan, Prentiss, and Reid looked up from their desks as David walked towards their meeting place.

Hotch watched him walk by as he passed his office door.

JJ rounded the corner to go tell Garcia in the next room.

"What do you think it's about?" Prentiss asked.

"A new case?"

They all goosebumps dot their flesh.

"Guess there's one way to find out," Reid said as he hauled himself out of his desk and the trio walked towards the conference room.

"You coming?" Morgan peeked inside of Hotch's office. Their leader was sitting behind his desk casually. He looked not even remotely fazed.

"Yes," he responded, "I'll be there shortly."

Morgan nodded and joined Prentiss and Reid as they approached the conference room.

Hotch sighed, knowing that David was going to bring up their evaluation reports. Rossi saw him and Dr. Johnson speaking earlier. He didn't want to discuss the matter anymore, he wanted to move forward with his life. Yet, he couldn't. Nightmares plagued him at nights, upturned memories from their brutal experience weeks ago.

Despite his unwillingness to participate, Hotch typed the last sentence for his online document and gathered his things to head to the conference room. Garcia and JJ followed behind him as he walked inside. Prentiss, Morgan, and Reid were already seated. Rossi stood up at the front of the room.

"Please, sit," David said kindly.

The others did as they were told and listened intently.

"I spoke with Dr. Johnson this morning regarding your psychological evaluations," Rossi began, "and he noticed our unwilligness to share personal information to others. Now, I know it comes with the job. Being in the FBI, you can only trust a select few. I can tell you wholeheartedly that I would entrust my life with each and every one of you in this room today and nobody else. That's a fact. I hope you all could say the same about the rest of us. So, though you couldn't or didn't want to divulge information about your traumatic experiences, this team supports one another. If any of you need to talk or need someone to shoulder some of that burden, I'll be your guy. I won't hesitate. I believed all of you would do the same for me or another if the opportunity arose. Anyway, I hope you all know that you are not alone in this fight, whether nightmares, visions, or memories plague you. We're here for you whenever you need."

A silence lapsed between the teammates, all of them soaking in Rossi's powerful words. Hotch quietly cleared his throat and took the stage.

"Thank you, Agent Rossi, for the confidence and reassurement," he opened his mouth to speak more, but paused for a moment, "I...I'd like to discuss some of the events that occurred during our kidnapping. More specifically, how I felt and how I am recovering."

Reid and Morgan exchanged surprised looks. Hotch was never the one volunteering to share feelings, this was a first.

"I've been having recurring nightmares ever since the incident," Hotch said, shoulders tense, "I haven't been able to overcome them, I see the unsub every night, along with all of you."

"Hotch…" JJ said, voice cracking.

"It's alright, it'll heal in time," he said surely, "but I haven't been able to overcome them because of my lack of sharing. Dr. Johnson was correct in his evaluation that being able to confide in trusted friends can greatly assist. I, like Rossi, would entrust my life with this team. During the incident, I was repeatedly made to feel helpless to my team by not being to do anything in retaliation when the unsub took you for your trials. Even more so when the unsub brought a presumably dying Reid into my solitary cell to watch the last breath leave his body while I was strapped to a chair. I felt helpless, useless, angy, afraid, and out of control. That's why I've been so fervent to return to my normal routine, to establish some form of order again. During the night, when these memories morph into nightmares, I lose the sensation of order and control. I've been spending late nights at the office, neglecting my time with Jack, and my health. Yet, I will say that sharing these feelings has actually been quite...helpful."

"I'll go next," Reid cleared his throat, wiping his palms on his pant legs, "I became rather ill during the trial. I could hardly move or think, and it was also so cold….throughout the experience, I felt helpless. I was dead weight on you guys when I should've been helping. I-I guess the guilt has been eating at me for the last couple of days, and I want to say I'm sorry for any inconvenience I caused. Now, I know that you might say it wasn't my fault, but it makes me feel better to just say it. I'm sorry, and I'm so appreciative that I had the best team and friends in there to help me through, no matter what trial we faced. Thank you."

Prentiss gulped and nodded, ready to begin, "It-it was weird for me to be in that cell, the acid creeping up on me and preparing myself for death. As an FBI agent, obviously these are things that you have to be ready for, but it was weird to actually have to think of a scenario like that. Not just with this kidnapper, with every other close call or accident. I think what affected me the most was the thought that you guys were in the next room and might have to go through the same thing. I-I couldn't think about that. So...I see the unsub from time to time, never as a nightmare during my sleep, but his face in the bushes, or those yellow gas mask eyes in car headlights. I feel scared and paranoid all the time, anxious and jumpy. I don't want to feel like that anymore, and I know I don't need to because I've got such an amazing team by my side."

"Hotch, Reid, Prentiss," Rossi nodded, looking at them in turn, "thank you for sharing, that was incredibly brave. Know that we'll always be here to support you all when needed. You can count on us."

"Morgan?" Hotch looked at Derek, "Would you like to share?"

He nodded hesitantly, "Well, you guys are my family. You all already know that. There isn't a day that goes by where I am not appreciative of this team and my job. Even though we went through some fairly difficult times, even though I thought I lost each of you guys, you didn't let me down. You were there for me every step of the way, but I don't feel alright. I feel angry. At nights, fury boils in my chest to the point that I feel like I'm going to explode. I can't help it. I know why I feel this way, but I didn't know how to make it stop until now. You guys, this team, is my support. I think I'll be able to forgive and forget."

"Derek," Prentiss began, "without you, I wouldn't be alive. You protected us from the unsub when Morgan and Reid were trapped in the other cell. You carried me out of there, you got us to safety. I think the more appropriate statement is that _you_ didn't let _us_ down."

Morgan smiled at Emily appreciatively.

"I'm really glad we can communicate like this with one another," JJ grinned, "one small step for man, one giant like for BAU kind."

"That's right," Garcia laughed, "we're a family, and family sticks together."

JJ's phone rang. She excused herself as she stepped outside to take the call.

"Indeed," Rossi nodded, "we're here and ready to listen whenever you all need."

Hotch stood up, "Thank you all," he dipped his head, "and I'd like to again applaud you three for your continuous efforts to find us and for keeping the BAU in check in our absence."

"Definitely," Reid concurred.

"Agreed," Prentiss piped in.

"Now," Hotch began, but JJ walked back into the room.

"Sorry to interrupt," she apologized, "but I got a call from LAPD. A series of murders in Orange County, California. Looks like we've got a new case."

"Alright," Rossi smirked, "let's get the go bags ready."

"Correct," Hotch nodded, "it's time to get back to work."

 **THE END**


End file.
